Lover Promised
by Luna 24601
Summary: Fhear always wanted to be a Brother. However, being the next king of vampires complicates things. As duty begins to dictate the prince's life, a new form of trouble enters Caldwell. Jessie du Bois has come looking for her twin brother and will stop at nothing to find him. Even if it means challenging the Black Dagger Brotherhood on her own. Seventh installment to Lover Destined.
1. Chapter 1

Lover Promised

Chapter One

Caldwell, New York

Fhear leaned over the pool table in preparation to take a shot when someone swiped his ball. Still leaning over, the male puffed back the black hair over his eyes to glare up at Tohr. The Brother tossed the white ball in one of the many nets. Sensing his game was over, Fhear placed his stick on the table with a groan.

Things in the Brotherhood changed over the month. One major player was that the _Lessing Society_ was up to something. Having discovered an operation they had kept hidden from the Brothers had everyone on edge. Sure, there had been the usual busts on small meetings and nothing else. Only problem was that the _lesser_ they were looking for wasn't at any of those meetings. A mysterious Mr. J had been alluding the Brotherhood and it was just driving them up the walls. This _lesser_ created a program so good that not even V could crack.

Another change was Fhear's friend, Dhusk. The male had been working nonstop in order to return to the Brotherhood. Reason for this intense training was because he had a tinny tiny problem. Although, one wouldn't consider it tinny if Dhusk always went Dr. Hyde on someone whenever he was serious. Everyone knew that side of the male and dealt with it until the events of last month came to pass. Now he was determined to be rid of that part of him. And it just wasn't Dhusk working hard. Paige, his female, was preparing herself for the Scribe Virgin. The human had a pesky telekinesis ability which amplified when she had another near-death experience. So with a vampire who could flip the switch and someone who could move things with her mind, the Brotherhood pretty much had a bunch of stuff on their plate.

Without Dhusk around being the teasing one, Fhear was stuck with Ahgony and Hhavoc. Well, mostly Ahgony. Hhavoc wasn't much on talking ever since his cousin started training. There was also the hidden fact that the male was in tune to every sound made on the earth. The three found out about this ability when Hhavoc heard a group of _lessers_ coming their way and when Paige's ability went out of control. He made them swear never to tell the others of his ability. Even though Fhear could see the potential of having such an ability, he could see the toll it took on his friend. Being able to hear everything and unable to turn it off would drive anyone crazy.

Since Ahgony was Hhavoc's new field partner, Fhear was left with too much time on his hands. It was partly his fault because of the raid a month ago. None of his friends expected him to join in the battle and he was proud for holding his own. But when the Brother found out, they immediately told his father. Now Fhear was on a much shorter leash than before.

After a long and heated argument between father and son, the final verdict was that Fhear had to have a Brother with him if he ever decided to go for a little midnight stroll. Two if he ever went with Dhusk, Ahgony, or Hhavoc. It got ridiculous when his father three Brothers would have to shadow him if the four went out together. Fhear did his best to keep his mouth shut in hopes of not provoking Wrath to making his punishment any harsher.

The other males had been busy of late so Fhear never saw the point of heading out.

He also had the annoying part of being the only prince of the vampire race.

His status was why Tohr interrupted his lonely game. All the male had to do was pat the prince on the shoulder and he knew what needed to be done. As of late, Tohrment had been the one looking for Fhear whenever his father needed to talk with him. Fhear didn't like the fact that his father summoned him now in a regular basis but he had to deal with it. Besides, this little summoning probably had to do with the fact that the _princep_ meeting was tomorrow night. The meeting would be Fhear's first one.

Both males left the Pit in complete silence and headed back to the mansion. Heading through the tunnels until arriving at the entrance, Fhear told the Brother he had this and continued the trip on his own. The double doors leading to the study were closed so he knocked first. Wrath told him to enter. With a great push, the prince stepped inside and closed the doors behind him.

Fhear walked up to his father's desk only to stop when a tall male stood up from one of the wingbacks. Dressed in a black suit with a missing tie, the male's red hair was tied back and rested between his shoulder blades. His hair was a dark red color that there were tiny hints of orange. The male was just as tall as any Brother and built the same way. Even his dark green eyes possessed a warrior's spirit.

"My prince," greeted the man.

Acknowledging the male's presence with a nod, Fhear glanced over at his father. Even though he was blind, the king could sense when someone was watching. Wrath stood up and nodded in the male's direction.

"This is Cohnrad, son of Tristyn."

"Nice to meet you." Fhear waited for his father to explain what was going on.

"Well, I must take my leave." Cohnrad bowed to Wrath first then turned around to bow at Fhear. "I do look forward to seeing you at the meeting." The male bowed once more before leaving through the double doors.

Still in the dark, Fhear was prepared to ask his father when Wrath told him to take a seat. Being told to sit by the king was never a good thing. Either way, the male did as he was told. His father sat back down as well. Removing his shades and rubbing his eyes, Wrath placed them back on with a sigh. Something was bothering his father and it had to do with this Cohnrad guy. Fhear hoped it want serious.

"Cohnrad is one of the members of the _princep_ council. He's a good male and a great ally to have on your side."

"Okay. So why was he here?"

There was that annoying sigh again that Fhear was this close to reaching over the big ass desk and beating it out of his father.

"His daughter—"

"Fuck no!"

Two words and Fhear already knew what the son of a bitch was doing here.

His own father was setting up an arranged marriage.

Bolting up to his feet, Fhear threw whatever was closest to him to the ground. His hand found a lamp from the desk. Hearing the thing break into a million pieces didn't help his rising anger.

"Sit down," roared his father.

"You have got to be fucking kidding me!" snarled Fhear. "I get why you keep me locked up and shit, but that doesn't give you a damn reason to control my life."

"And what of our people?" Wrath challenged. "What are they to do if you don't start taking your role to heart?"

"But you—"

"Look how that turned out!" Wrath was back to standing. "I spent three hundred years ignoring my duty and look how that turned out. Many of our people died because I refused to take the throne. I don't want you making the same mistake I did."

"That is such bullshit! The reason why you've been dictating everything I've done my entire life is because I'm your only heir. If I wasn't, you wouldn't care what I did since there would be someone else to succeed you."

Right when the words left Fhear's lips, he instantly regretted them. On the day of his birth, his _mahmen_ almost died giving birth to him. It was because of him she had to have her uterus removed. With him being the sole heir to his father's legacy, Fhear always felt trapped in a duty he never wanted. What the prince wanted more than anything was to be part of the Brotherhood. Hearing the tales of how his father was once one of them prompted the urge to join. Funny how that dream went up in flames on the first day of learning politics.

Wrath didn't argue or agree with what his son said. The male was used to Fhear's outburst. This was a game they had played a million times. It was just this one accidently brought Wrath's _shellan_ in the mix.

Fhear apologized for his words and sat back down. Wrath stood a second longer before sitting down.

"Sooner or later, you're going to have to accept you role. Might as well be soon."

"Why?"

"Once you make an appearance tomorrow, males of high ranking will start bringing their daughters. It's no secret that you will one day take a female to be your _shellan_. What worries me the most is what the males have to gain." Wrath leaned back in his throne. "Rehv actually introduced me to Cohnrad. I spoke with the male on a few occasions to understand that his only motive is to see the safety of the people and its future king. His loyalty is unwavering to the First Family."

"So you want me to marry his daughter to keep him in our corner?"

There wasn't any need for an answer. Having the male meet Fhear before the other _princep_ members already declared the match.

"Her name is Claudya. You'll meet her once the meeting is over. All I'm asking of you is to get to know her."

Fhear restrained himself for making the snide remark of how he should get to know the female before the date was set. Might as well get to know someone before you were stuck to them for the rest of your life.

"Is that all?"

"Yes."

Without wasting a second, Fhear was up and out of the study. The male didn't care how loud he closed the doors. He slammed them as hard as he could. The chandeliers above his head shook from the impact.

The male ignored whoever was watching him as he stormed out of the mansion and down the tunnels. Taking a series of turns, he ended up in the garage. One car had a hood up with half a body sticking out. Marching right up to the ride, Fhear pounded his hand on the driver's side to get the male's attention.

"I heard you before you even set foot out of the study."

Leaning back and slamming the hood shut, Hhavoc wiped his greasy hands on his jeans. The male was wearing a white sleeveless shirt so the tattoo on his right upper arm could be seen. Bayne, Hhavoc's twin, had a matching tattoo on his left upper arm. The tattoo was of swirling circle with the end breaking off in crumbling rocks. With the tattoo representing earth, it showed to the world that the twins belonged to the line of Sohl. Esther, Adam, and Rayna had a tattoo similar to this with the jagged piece replaced with floating wisps. Their father, Adam, had the same tattoo since they were part of Shadoh's line. Even the triplets had a tattoo of the circle with burning flames for their father was Spihrit.

Fhear gave his friend some time to wipe himself semi clean. Tonight was the male's night off so he was working on his mechanical skills. Good thing he was easy to find because Fhear really needed someone who wasn't afraid to punch him or worse.

"You done here?"

"Not even close. I think I'll just let my dad finish this mess up. Everyone already knows how much I suck at this."

When Fhear didn't follow up on why he was there, Hhavoc grunted like he was bored. He gave his hands one more wipe on his pants before telling the prince to meet him in the gym in five. Both of the males headed out of the gym towards the locker room. While Hhavoc gave himself a quick wash, Fhear changed into a pair of slacks and a black shirt.

The males probably had ten minutes before someone came looking for them. So in ten minutes, the two would be going at one another like they were intending to kill the other. If Dhusk wasn't busy finding his zin self, Fhear would've gone to his friend. Hhavoc was a good second choice considering the male knew when it was time to call it. Fhear would be relying on his friend's decision because he really needed a good fight.

Leaving the locker room and heading to the gym, the first thing Fhear did was lock the doors. Now with those ten minutes in the bag, Fhear headed to the center matt and raised his arms above his head. Hhavoc soon joined the prince and did his own short stretch. Once they were nice and loose, the males took their fighting positions. They gave each other a fist bump to start the fight. No surprise when it was Fhear who came swinging fighting first.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

New Orleans, Louisiana

A party of drunk frat boys stumbled down Toulouse Street, tripping over their own feet. One broke off from the group and stumbled up to the uneven sidewalk. Before he could plant his face in her breasts, Jessie shifted along the wall in time to watch the guy meet a brick wall. She chuckled as she took another sip from her beer. People laughed as the drunken idiot was helped back up to his feet by his friends. Tourists took pictures to treasure the memory of their time in the Quarter.

While the drunks continued heading down their destructive path, the streets were flooded with bodies since it was tourist season in New Awlins. Then there was the Quarter which attracted most of the business. Anyone who'd been born in the Big Easy knew where to make a quick buck when summer came swinging around.

Jessie du Bois was born and raised in this great city. She was legally a du Bois on her dad's side while her mama was a Beauvillier. There was this crazy tradition on her mama's side that anyone born from the Beauvillier family kept their last name no matter what. Jessie's mama didn't follow the tradition so her last name was from her dad and no one told her why. Although, the Beauvillier family was a stubborn family with a bunch of stubborn women. Papers didn't matter because Damiane Beauvilliers always called her grandbabies Beauvillier no matter what.

The Beauvillier family was considered one of the oldest families in New Awlins. Having migrated from France in the late sixteen hundreds, the family explored the territory until the day the city was built. Most of the family still lived in New Awlins while a few lived further out. One would think they all lived in the city considering they were practically everywhere. Hell, Jessie's grams owned a shop her cousins oversaw while the old woman did readings at Jackson Square. As for the du Bois family, they were more scattered than together. Jessie had to think really hard when she last had a get-together with someone from her dad's family. Sad to say her life was mostly surrounded by Beauvilliers. Made one hell of a birthday party for Jessie and Jamie.

Finishing her beer and watching the colorful crowd, thinking of her twin Jamie brought back some unsavory memories. Main culprit was of Jessie's dad. The bastard hated her since she could remember while he cherished her little brother. Just thinking about the man had her wanting to bust his skull with her bottle. Good thing he hadn't graced her with his usual hypocritical calls. In fact, she hadn't heard from her dad the day Jamie went to MIT and him going on his two year tour to who knew where. Good. There was just so many of those damn calls she could take before becoming destructive.

She shook her head clear of the mess and tossed the bottle. Tonight was her night so thinking of her fucked up father-daughter relationship wasn't part of the agenda. The doors to One Eyed Jacks was open so the music blaring could be heard outside. Jessie checked her phone to see it was barely nine at night. A smirk appeared on her lips. Only three more minutes and it would be her turn.

As Jessie was about to pocket her phone, it started vibrating in her hand. Some number she'd never seen before popped up. Not wanting any weirdo calling her in the middle of the day, she intended to tell them to lose the number when she answered. The words were right on her lips but died as soon as she heard the person.

"Sis?"

No matter how loud the streets were, there was no way in hell Jessie could ever forgot her twin's voice.

"Jamie?"

"Yep, it's me."

Jessie leaned back against the brick wall and propped her foot up. "Well, well. Been a while since you called. I was beginning to worry."

"Sorry. Things have been busy here."

When Jamie didn't continue speaking, something cold ran up Jessie's spine and it wasn't the beer stained wall. She hadn't heard from her twin in a full year and now he called out of the blue. Jessie knew Jamie should've graduated from his fancy school by now because she'd been watching her mailbox for a graduation invite. No invitation would've given her dad a reason to call her. That man wouldn't miss his son's graduation even though he missed her from LOYNO. Now that really stung. What stung more was when she didn't seen Jamie around.

"So what you up to?" she asked.

"Uh, nothing really. Just trying to get some studying done."

Now she felt insulted. Getting some random call and being lied to by her twin brought the nasty side of Jessie out. It was the thought of how she was finally talking to Jamie that cooled her temper. Besides, if she went bat shit crazy right now, she'd end up on some tourist's home page or something. She wasn't ready to go viral just yet.

"Well, I graduated before summer started. Didn't see you there."

When Jamie didn't say anything, it was a clear indicator that he was thinking up a lie. It sounded pathetic when he said, "Must've gotten lost in the mail. I'll make it up to you, I swear."

Jessie lowered her phone and touched the dark screen. The strange number popped up again. Instead of the 617 area number she was used to seeing, 973 showed up instead along with a whole bunch of different numbers.

Clicking a button to save the number, Jessie made a mental note to go visit a friend tomorrow afternoon. Her schedule mainly involved her waking up in the afternoon, working at night, and sleeping during the morning. Besides, people she knew lived by the same schedule as hers. Only the weird lived in this city.

"Don't worry about it. I'll just come up to MIT and we can celebrate there."

Jamie did another one of his ominous pause. "No thanks. I mean, you don't have to do that. Besides, I kind of miss home. A trip down would be a good thing." There was some shuffling around like a door was pushing against something hard. "I got to go. My roommates back and he's not in the mood. I'll call back with a date. It was…it was good talking to you sis."

Jessie stood there with a disconnected phone against her ear. Once the beeping got irritating, she stuffed it back in her pocket along with her hands. She blew back a lock of indigo blue from her face. After graduation, she had the stripes dyed in her dark chestnut hair. One of her cousins tried to talk her into getting a tattoo or a piercing. Jessie was good with the basic ears piercing she got when she was ten and there was no way in hell she'd get a tattoo.

Someone leaned out from the door to tell her she was up next. Thanking the girl for the reminder, all Jessie could do was make it through tonight so she could worry tomorrow. It would've been better if Jamie never called her. Sure, she'd been worry for her twin since the day he left for collage. A part of her blamed the whole big-sister-syndrome even though she was older by three minutes. Jamie had been the shy one growing up which made him an easy target on the school yard. No one picked on him after they got their asses whooped from Jessie and her cousins.

The chip on her shoulder was thanks to being the only girl in a generation of twelve boy cousins.

Taking in one deep breath, she tossed her head down and up to fluff her already messy hair. Thick and wild, only a miracle could tame her hair with a brush standing victory. Today was one of those days where Jessie said screw it and went out as it was. Brushing it out of her face, she patted her torn jeans and smoothed out the long black halterneck. Her ankle boots hid under the flare of her jeans so she tapped the toes against the concrete. The last thing she did was pat her back pocket to make sure her wallet and keys were tucked all the way down. Once she was sure nothing would come falling out, Jessie twisted around and entered the bar.

Bodies swarmed around the bar stand and that was before entering the main room. Some bartenders waved at Jessie who she waved back while making her way through the room. Slipping through the doors leading to the main room, hundreds of people were up against the stage while some either chilled at the bar in the center or at the side tables. Because Jessie wasn't part of some band, the owner of the bar managed to get some guys together to perform with her. They were already up on stage checking their instruments before it was go time.

Jessie maneuvered her way over until she hopped up on stage. None of the guys knew her but greeted her anyways. She even gave the guitar player a fist bump before checking her mic. With a test, all sounded good with the eager crowd pressing towards them. The previous band must've pumped them up with the help of alcohol in their system.

Soon the lights in the room dimmed. Scream of excitement reached to the ceiling and could probably be heard outside when the stage lights came on. Jessie stood in the front with the mic in hand. Once the crowd calmed down, she glanced over her shoulder to check on the guys. They all nodded as a sign that they were ready.

"Good evening!"

So much for silence. The entire bar erupted in cheers.

"Now I have to ask. Who's here for the first time?"

Hands and full cups swung around in the air. The guys behind her laughed from the sight. The grin on Jessie's face grew wider.

"Alright, alright. First order of business, let's give it to the band before us."

Jessie whispered which song they were doing first to the bass player as the crowd screamed their heads up. He gave her a thumbs up before passing the message around. With the band up to speed, Jessie waved her hand once and gave a series of numbers with her fingers for the tech guy to read. The lights by her feet began to dim until a steady dark light illuminated the stage.

"Now let's have some fun."

The lights then died out. Seconds later, green, blue, and purple lights flashed behind the drummer. With the crowd jumping and pressing against the stage, Jessie wrapped her fingers around the mic as she leaned against the stand.

 _"Get down with the victim  
We both know you need them  
You're stuck in the middle  
Of all irrelevance  
And your heart is beating  
Cause you know that you gotta  
Get out of the middle  
And rise to the top now"_

 _"When you've made it_  
 _Won't ya tell me what to do_  
 _Cause I'm playin' it all wrong_  
 _When you made it, when you made it_  
 _Won't ya tell me what to do_  
 _Cause I'm playin it all wrong"_

Lights flashed the stage in an instant. Jessie removed the mic from its stand and strode right up to the ledge of the stage. More lights flashed behind her with each beat and note the band played. Bending down and reaching out with her hand, Jessie sang her heart out for the crowd who was dying to hear her perform.

Just any other ordinary night in New Awlins.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Twelve in the afternoon and the Quarter was already booming with a million voices. If it were just the voices, Jessie could've easily slept through it. Another reason in staying under the covers was the killer hangover she received when coming home. Fun thing about the Quarter was that bars didn't close down till early morning. Jessie surprised herself when she came wobbling up to the front gate to her apartment at two in the morning.

It was her damn alarm clock that woke her up. The little sucker clicked twelve p.m. and the FM radio blared in her ear. Smashing her knuckles on the snooze button, Jessie rolled around in her sheets before sitting up. All she saw as a haze of brown and blue. She parted her tangled hair enough so she could see. Light infiltrated past her thin purple curtains, casting rays of purple light over her wood floor. Jessie opened wide to a yawn as she stood up on top of her mattress and hopped off. Her feet took her straight to her window where she tossed the curtains aside and shielded her eyes from the afternoon sun.

Bourbon and Orleans Street was teeming with people. At the corner were some vendors holding signs in hopes of someone taking a picture with them. When Jessie pushed open her glass door to step out on the patio, some tourists waved at her like she was going to toss candy or something. She simply waved back as she opened up the rest of her wooden covers. However, when someone whistled at her, she made sure they saw her giving them the finger before heading back inside.

Today was one of her free nights which meant no one booked her for a gig. Good thing considering today was when she would get answers. Jamie called his twin like it was an obligation and lied through his teeth before hanging up. Since it was now six past twelve, Jessie figured she had enough time to take a shower and grab a bite to eat before taking the trolley to CBD. By the time she got there, her friend would be just getting ready for his break. Only then would she get the answers she wanted.

Padding across her room and into the bathroom, Jessie didn't bother closing the door. She simply turned on the water, tossed her pale V-neck sleep shirt and red shortie panties, and stepped under the burning spray. Her sleepy mind snapped into gear as the water pelted her skin in searing blasts. Once she knew she was fully awake, she lowered the temperature a bit and started working on her hair.

As usual, the shower was mostly spent on untangling and straightening her hair out. Jessie reminded herself to stop by the store to buy more shampoo. Giving the rest of herself a rinse, she stepped out of the shower with her hair wrapped in a bun. Today was New Awlins usual summer days which meant it was hot and would only get hotter throughout the day. Jessie went straight to her drawers to see what she had. Pulling out a pair of faded blue cut-off shorts and a light blue tank top, Jessie headed back to the bathroom with a matching pair of blue hipster panties and a bra in hand. First order of business was try to control her hair.

Settling with brushed top and side with a bit of messy at the end, Jessie changed into her clothes and finished tying her lace up boots. Tossing her hair over her shoulder for it to dangle in the front, she snatched her keys and wallet from the nightstand and made her way down her stairs before locking up the front door and gate. She spun around on her heels to face the crowd with a grin on her face. Her grin faltered when her stomach growled for food.

Because she played her cards right in leaving her place on time, the first place Jessie stopped at was the Bayou Café on St. Peters. It wasn't as grand as the famous Café Du Monde but it was still the best place to sit down and enjoy a meal. Another great thing about the café was that a Beauvillier owned it. So right when Jessie stepped into the busy café, she immediately spotted Ray at the counter. She gave her cousin a wave which he returned. Jessie scooted alone the line of paying customers in time to snatch the packed lunch and stuffed a twenty in the tip jar.

With a freshly cooked BLT in the bag, Jessie darted down the street until she emerged at Jackson Square. Painters, musicians, actors, and psychics occupied the square with opened business. To Jessie's left was the massive cathedral which had its doors open for tourists. She did a quick sign of the cross as she continued her steady jog to the edge of the square. Coming to a shaky halt, her timing must've been of luck because the Riverfront trolley came rolling down in the direction she wanted it to go. Forming a line behind the people already waiting, Jessie pulled out the BLT and took a chunk out of it when it was her turn to get on.

Jessie decided to stand in the center of the trolley with one hand on the bar and the other one helping her sandwich. The ride was long enough for her to finish the last bite. Licking her fingers, she reached over for the cord and pulled it for the trolley to stop. Turned out some people needed to get off because they stepped out when she did. Jessie waited for the trolley to continue its path before crossing the street in order to head over to Harrah's Casino.

An expected amount of tourists headed straight for the air-conditioned casino. Employees stood in front of the doors to hand out pamphlets in hopes of their new guests to spend more money. When someone offered Jessie one, she gave them a wide smile and shook her head. The employee returned his own smile before going back to business. Taking out her phone and tapping it against her hand, Jessie entered the giant casino where all she heard were machines blaring and people shouting in excitement. Too bad she wasn't here to waste away money.

Heading straight to the poker tables, majority of them were occupied with players while there were a couple closed for the time. Jessie walked past the occupied tables until she spotted one getting ready to close down. Liam was dressed in black slacks and a nice pressed button down with a black vest. As the dealer closed up for his lunch break, Jessie smoothly sat in a chair and waited for him to tell her to scat. His eyes were busy putting away the chips that he was close on telling her he wasn't dealing until he glanced up. A wicked grin appeared on his tired face.

"Well, well, if it isn't Jessie."

"Hey, Liam. How's it going?"

Her old friend shrugged his shoulders as he leaned against his table. "Some winners, a bunch of losers. You?"

"Just woke up."

Right when they were done with their pleasantries, Liam leaned further over the table the same time Jessie slid her phone over the velvet covering. Liam took the phone as he stood back up. His finger tapped on her history call and his eyebrows furrowed together when he saw the number.

"Who's this from?" he asked.

"Jamie," she answered in a low voice. "He called me out of the blue last night. I already know that area code isn't from Massachusetts."

"That's because it's from Caldwell."

"Caldwell? You mean Texas?"

Liam shook his head while bringing out his own phone. "As in New York State." Placing both phones on the table, he then pulled out a cord and hooked it in the phones. Jessie's phone blinked once before a screen of numbers started scrolling down. Liam started tapping away on his phone which had its own share of numbers. He shook his head like he was disappointed when his screen blinked white. Unhooking the phones, he handed Jessie hers and cleared up his little playground. "The phone your brother called on was a burner. All I could get was that he called from Caldwell. I thought he was at MIT."

"Yeah." Jessie slipped her phone back in her pocket. "So did I."

* * *

"Administration."

"Hi! Hi, I was wondering if I could find a student."

"And who are you to this student?"

Jessie resisted the urge to tell the woman off. Her attitude was a piss poor one which didn't help the situation. "I'm his sister," she bit out. "My name is Jessie du Bois. My brother's name is Jamie du Bois. I was just wondering if he's still on campus. Pretty sure my name is under his registration."

"One second please."

As soon as the woman placed on the granny music, Jessie twisted around and rested her elbows on the railing preventing her from taking a nose dive in the Mississippi. Even though it was burning hot outside, the haze of salty water provided a nice cool down for those on the Riverwalk. Past the entrance and further down the road was the casino Jessie just came from. After learning her brother wasn't in Massachusetts but in New York, she immediately called his phone. She didn't care if Liam said he probably dumped the phone considering it was a burner. She dialed Jamie up and muttered a curse when it went to voicemail. Well, at least it was still working.

Maybe she was reading too much into it. Sure, it had been a year since her twin dialed her up and he was lying to her. But there was always the chance that he decided to say, "Screw you!" and do things on his own. Now that would be something to see considering Jamie never so much as uttered a curse word. He left his big sis to do all the loud talking. And if this damn woman ever got back to Jessie and told her that her brother was still registered, she would hang up and surprise his lying ass.

"Hello, ma'am? Yes, I have your name under your brother's registration. I'm sorry to say that Jamie du Bous dropped out of our institute a year ago."

Not what she was expecting to hear.

"What do you mean he dropped out?"

"He dropped out, I don't know how much clear I can be."

"Thanks." Jessie hung up before things got ugly.

Staring over the waters, Jessie tapped her phone against the steel railing while her mind wandered. So that explained why no one received a graduation invitation. Her little brother dropped out of the number one elite collage and fell off the map. Well, that was until he called her. The sense of calling his twin was what gave him away. Then again, there was the chance Jessie could've taken a random day off and flown up to MIT. It would be there she'd find out he was in the wind. With her discovery would the family start asking question.

Keeping quiet for so long with the knowledge that his family believed him to be somewhere they thought was smart. As for the call, it would've worked if Jamie called ever now and again to keep suspicion off of him. With this newfound information and a theory that shook Jessie's bones, her mind told her something wasn't right and that Jamie was in the middle of it.

She knew he was in Caldwell and assumed he'd been there for this missing year. What was he doing there to begin with? Jessie dialed up another number. When someone picked up, their conversation was short and sweet to the point where Jessie found herself waiting for the St. Charles trolley. Getting on and taking a seat in the back, she slid the window down for some fresh air to flow in. The ride was going to be a slightly long one.

* * *

With the trolley leaving its stop on Washington Ave in the Garden District, Jessie jumped over the tracks and started her trek up the sidewalk. Surrounded by giant trees and houses that still remained from the earlier times, the place was the mystical heart of New Awlins. The Quarter was full of fun which attracted so many peoples' attention. It was just that the Garden District was more of the soul of the great city.

Taking a turn on 7th Street, old two story houses stood on each side of the street. Mighty pillars held the front together while the dark and bright colors brought out something beautiful in its designs. Some houses had old family crests and shields embedded in their pillars as a sign on which families had been in New Awlins the longest. It was when Jessie stopped in front of a gated house did she see the Beauvillier family shield.

Six red swans. Three in the top white stripe, two in the second, and the last at the bottom with three greens stripes separating them.

The front gate was unlocked so she let herself in. Jessie hopped up the old brick steps onto the green porch. Brushing her hair aside, she stood up straight as she knocked on the freshly painted door. She tried the worn out knocker in case her knock hadn't been heard. The sound of the door unlocking had her backing up. With the door opening, an elderly woman was revealed on the other side. Despite the temperature, the woman wore a black dress with an orange silk scarf around her neck. Dark brown hair just like Jessie's with some grays was pulled back in with a black ribbon to hold it in place. Though age brought wrinkles to the woman, it hadn't touched her greyish blue eyes.

"Jessie," greeted Damiane Beauvillier.

"Hey, Grams." She embraced her grandmother in a tight hug. "I called the shop and Amy picked up. She told me Danielle was covering for you at the Square."

"Aw, don't worry about that." The two pulled away. "I just needed some time to myself."

Danielle was Damiane's twin sister. As for Amy and Ray who were Jessie's cousins, they had twins of their own. There was no mistaking the coincidences of the Beauvillier family. Only those were weren't part of the family were surprised that every generation came with a set of twins.

"So what do I owe this visit?"

Jessie took a moment to gather her wits. Her grams wasn't going to like what she had to ask. "I need a reading," she managed to say.

Damiane's bright smile turned into a frown as she crossed her arms.

"I know you don't do reading for family, but I really need one."

When the old woman didn't budge, Jessie was sure she would have resort to begging. Thank god she didn't when Damiane waved her hand for her granddaughter to follow. Locking up the door behind her, the two moved past the winding staircase and down the long hallway. Damiane stopped in front of a pair of double doors with gold trimming. On the other side of the doors was a giant parlor room with a table in the center, two chairs on both sides, and plants bringing life to the room.

Resting in the middle of the table was a stack of tarot cards.

Jessie took a seat on the left and Damiane on the right. Her grams picked up the deck and handed them to her granddaughter. Jessie took the stack and began to shuffle them before handing them back. Damiane tapped the table with the deck before setting them down on the left side. In one smooth motion, she slid the cards across the table in an arc.

"Pick three," she instructed when her hand left the last card.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Jessie raised her hand as her eyes scanned the cards laying before her. She knew her grams didn't approve of reading family members. There was something about bad luck or in that category. Well, she'd have to deal with the bad luck if it meant knowing what was in store for her.

The first card she slid out was near the right edge. The second one was four cards left from the center. As for her last card, it was the one all the way to the left. With three cards picked, Damiane folded up the rest of her cards back in their deck form and drew the cards close to her. She flipped the one Jessie picked from the right.

"The Fool."

Mocking Jessie was the card of a man basking in the sun with a sack over his shoulder.

"Well, I'm not surprised you picked this card first. The Fool the wandering type. He doesn't care what people say about him or where his feet take him. Innocent of the world around him, the Fool is more open to the world around him. However, there may be times where his curiosity may get him into trouble. One must know when to be careful when the time comes."

"So I'm the Fool."

Damiane chuckled to herself. "Most of the times. I think this is good if this card is the first." The woman flipped over the next card to reveal a man and woman under a glowing angel. "Well, isn't this a twist. The Lovers."

Jessie felt her hair bristle. It was no secret that she had a bunch of hookups. Some over drinks and others at parties. She just never found herself in a serious relationship with someone. Finding out the second card she picked was the Lovers didn't settle well with her.

There was a momentary silence that Jessie glanced up at her grams. The old woman stared at the two cards between them. "Jessie," she spoke. "Are you planning on leaving New Awlins?"

Now there was the question of the day.

"I don't know yet," she admitted. "Why?"

Damiane tapped the Fool and Lovers card. "The Fool likes to travel, explore new worlds if that makes sense. I see you leaving to some place far from here. It is through this journey you will meet someone. Someone like you and yet…different. The Lovers could be completely opposite people who are meant to be the perfect half. This is a very powerful card. I'm not asking why you think you're leaving, but I must caution you that this is a card one doesn't play with."

Okay, she was starting to hate this card more than the Fool.

Giving her grams a nod that she understood, Damiane flipped over the last card. The older woman gasped while Jessie felt a freeze run down her spine.

A knight rode a white horse over a field of bodies with a black flag in hand. On the flag was a white flower with two swords behind it.

"Death," whispered Damiane. Her eyes scanned the other cards to make sure she was reading them right.

"Okay. I know the Death card is definitely a card not to play around with and I also know it has other meanings. But why and how is it part of my reading?"

Damiane skimmed her fingers over the cards as if touching them would help her. Bringing her hands back, she reached for her granddaughter. Jamie laced her fingers with her gram's and thought she was just comforting the older woman. Instead, she flipped Jessie's left arm over.

A birthmark the shape of a lily rested on the inside of her wrist.

As Damiane rubbed her thumb over the birthmark, Jessie knew where her grams had her lily mark. Another thing about the Beauvilliers was that each twin had the same birthmark on the opposite side. Jamie had his on his right wrist.

"Leave and this shall come to pass. You will go on a journey that will lead you to something you never imagined. Continue this path and you will find your lover, the other half of you. He will bring you great happiness and great sorrow only the two of you could understand. This man will be who Fate wished for you. But listen carefully to me, Jessie Beauvillier. Go on this journey and this love of yours will lead you to your death. This I can promise you."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

"Did Hhavoc really have to punch you in the eye?"

Last night's event between Fhear and Hhavoc ended with them getting caught off guard and the male accidently landing a solid in the prince's right eye. Some of the blame was put on Hhavoc while most of it was saved for Fhear. So with their little fight night busted, Fhear lingered around in the Pit even though no one was around. When the prince went to bed, his eye had been different shades of black and purple. Now he stood in a giant room with a huge circular table with a sickly yellow color.

The male who stood next to him was the _Princeps Leahdyre_ Rehvenge. In front of the two were Wrath and Tohr who were speaking to one another. There were a couple of males sitting at their assigned seats while some were still showing up for the meeting. Fhear hadn't seen Cohnrad so he assumed the male was still on his way.

"It was an accident," Fhear whispered back to the male.

Rehv patted the prince on his shoulder while nodding at another male who greeted him. Fhear was too busy staying still that he ignored the male. He didn't know how long the damned meeting would take and he wanted to be back at the mansion before the Scribe Virgin showed up. Today was the day their goddess would see if Paige had complete control of her ability. Everyone knew the human had it in the bag considering there weren't any more body shaped Lassiter holes in the ground. Besides, Fhear wanted to be there as support since he liked his friend's female. Ahgony and Hhavoc would surely be there.

More males appeared in the room with others by their side. Because he was expected to care, Fhear noticed how the others looked like younger versions of the _princeps_. A second later and he figured out the other males were the sons. So he wasn't the only one here to watch the meeting. However, unlike Fhear who didn't want to participate, he figured the younger males did whatever their fathers wanted in order to come.

And speaking of father and son, Cohnrad entered the room with his son by his side. Both wore a black suit just like everyone with the exception of Cohnrad's long hair. As for his son, it wasn't long and neatly brushed back. When the males greeted his father, Fhear noted the age difference between the two. Cohnrad's son looked like he was ten years younger than everyone else.

Fhear felt a nudge against his back. Glancing back, he saw Rehv giving him another friendly push to join the others. He rolled his eyes as he did what was expected. Cohnrad greeted the prince when he joined his father's side.

"My prince, allow me to introduce you to my son, Vyktor."

Cohnrad's son bowed towards Fhear which he returned with a nod. There was no way he could ignore his way out of this one. Besides, Tohr was watching him and he was sure his father could sense when he was being disrespectful. All he had to do was endure this meeting and hope it let out early.

Really early now that he thought about it. Cohnrad's appearance reminded the prince that he would be meeting the male's daughter after this. Remembering the whole engagement thing put a damper on the male's mood.

The door closed as a sign that everyone was taking their seats. Cohnrad gave the males another bow before taking his leave to his seat. Vyktor followed his father and took a seat behind him as did all of the other sons. With Tohr taking a seat behind his king and next to Fhear, Wrath took his seat right next to Rehvenge. When the meeting didn't start, Fhear glanced around to see if he missed something. His lack of observation focused on an empty chair on the other side of the table.

One _princep_ member was missing.

Whispers floated around the room. Even Fhear glanced around to make sure this missing male wasn't hiding or something. When no one stepped forward from the shadows, Rehvenge cleared his throat.

"Well, I believe we can get started."

One male stood up and began reading a report he was holding. He had just finished the first paragraph when the doors opened and shut behind someone. The male paused in his reading while everyone glanced at who walked in late. Fhear joined in on the spectating eyes, expecting to see another clone of the males.

The prince swore the temperature in the room took a nose dive.

Walking over to his seat was a huge male. The male was so tall that he might as well be taller than Zsadist. His attire was another eye catcher. While all the males wore their black suits, this male sported dark jeans with heavy boots, a black long sleeve button down with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and a black long coat over his arm.

The male tossed his coat on the table and took his seat. For those who were rudely staring at him, a pair of dark brown eyes glared under his tawny yellow hair. It was a glare that warned someone weaker to back off. And that was exactly what those males did. All of those watching him immediately turned their attention to the table.

Rehv cleared his throat a second time so the meeting could continue. As the male who had been reading tried to pick up where he left off, Fhear leaned over towards Tohr. The male must've heard him because he angled over so he could hear him.

"Who's the male who just walked in?" Fhear asked.

"Ah, him." Tohrment nodded in the male's direction. "His name is Bhrutal. I recommend you be careful of him."

"Why do you say that?"

The Brother glanced back at his prince. "Don't let the title fool you. This isn't the first time the _princep_ has been late. It's just that the others are too afraid to call him out on it. All I know is that he took his father's position almost thirty years ago. I don't know what his story is and I don't care. Even Rehv is wary of him so I suggest you to take the same action."

Fhear sat back with this new warning. He assumed majority of the males in this room were the typical aristocratic bastards. But as the prince casted a glance at the male, the warning rung true when Bhrutal met Fhear's gaze. Something in his eyes brightened as if a beast was challenging him to do something.

There was a predator in a room full of prey.

* * *

Turned out the meeting went longer than expected. Having to sit on his ass for three whole hours, Fhear was ready to throw his chair across the room and flip everyone off. During the entire time, his hand held a firm grip over his cell phone in hopes of a text or something to come up. Perhaps it was a good thing nothing happened. The silence was his only hope that the Scribe Virgin hadn't shown up yet.

Next order of business was meeting this female and he was home free.

With the last report read and done, Rehvenge officially declared the meeting over. All of the males stood up from their seat and bowed at their king and _Leahdyre_. Once the two stood as well, Fhear bolted up from his chair only to stop when his spine didn't bend right. The prince made sure to act discrete while popping his back. This was the first time in hearing so many pops coming from the bone. One pop was so loud that Tohr heard him. The male raised an eyebrow once Fhear was sure he could safely move around.

While everyone was filing out of the room, Fhear kept his phone low as he texted Dhusk.

 **Meeting done! B there soon**

Fhear didn't expect a quick reply but was surprised when his friend sent a text.

 **SV came hour ago**

The prince no longer cared if someone saw him hunched over his phone. Bringing it up, he used his fingers to send back a fast text.

 **WTF?**

 **…** **yeah.**

 **Why not txt?**

 **Ur dad said not 2. Not want 2 distract u. Sorry, man**

Fhear was in a blind rage that he didn't remember what he texted his friend before shoving his phone in his pocket. One thing on his mind was how he was going to get his father for this.

Since he was the only one still standing in the empty room, the prince stormed out and just opened the door when he noticed two males standing in the deserted hall. They were standing in the far corner so Fhear couldn't hear what they were saying. He didn't need to hear them to know they didn't want prying eyes watching them.

Cohnrad was talking to Bhrutal.

Their conversation must've been on the tail end because Bhrutal nodded and left. Cohnrad raked his hand over his hair, accidently pulling some red strands free. The male took in a deep breath as if to steady himself and shook his head. Something dark shimmered in those green eyes of his. But just as fast as Fhear saw it, it faded under a calm façade.

Fhear stepped out when the male left behind another set of doors. Tohr's warning still lingered in his head. If someone with that kind of rep was part of the _princeps_ , what was he doing talking to Cohnrad in the shadows?

This wasn't time for a conspiracy theory. The doors Cohnrad exited were the same ones Fhear was heading to. He took a moment to keep his urge to pound some sense into his father on the down key. There would be more than enough time when they got home.

When he knew he was safe from inflicting physical harm on his old man, Fhear strode across the hallway and opened the doors. Cohnrad's son must've left because he wasn't anywhere in the giant room. Besides the male's absence, everyone else was accounted for.

Fhear turned his attention to the female sitting.

Wearing a red dress with her red hair in a neat braid, the female stood and bowed at Fhear. She even wore a matching pair of ruby bracelets on each wrists. The necklace dangling around her neck was a mix of ruby and amber stones. Her accessories and the bright color of her dress brought out the emerald like color of her green eyes.

"My daughter, Claudya."

Claudya gave Fhear another bow. "My prince," she greeted.

Although this young female was a beauty to behold, she wasn't meant for Fhear. He couldn't explain it. All he knew was that this wasn't meant to be and the female that was his was still out in the world.

Now he would never get a chance to start looking. Claudya, daughter of Cohnrad, would one day become his _shellan_.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Human shadows floated past graves. Some hunched over the engraved names or family tombs. A few passed one another, accidently bumping into the others. No words were exchanged. Nothing needed to be said for those who visited the Lafayette Cemetery in the middle of the night.

A great old oak tree reached past the Beauvillier family tomb. Branches decades old protected the tomb in a blanket of darkness. Even the light of the full moon could hardly reach past its million leaves. Shadows flickered over the front of the tomb until one resumed its original spot. Jessie stood right in front her mama's family tomb. No matter how dark it was, she could read the Beauvillier name engraved above the marble stone.

The tomb was one of the largest ones in the cemetery considering the Beauvilliers was an old family. Because of the numbers, the original tomb had to be rebuilt to make more room for the dead. With the extra stone came more room for a certain tradition to continue. Names from many generations were carved into the stones right next to the door stone. Jessie's eyes lingered on the last two names of the people who were buried in the tomb. Second to last was Adelais Beauvillier, an aunt Jessie never had a chance to meet. She died when she was fourteen. No one spoke as to how she died. In fact, there were some Beauvilliers who died strange deaths and were never mentioned.

Abrial Beauvillier fell under the same category as her twin sister. A woman who died twenty-four years ago.

A death that had Jessie taking another sip from her beer bottle.

Taking a seat on the crumbling walkway, she scooted back a bit until she was resting against another tomb. Twirling the bottle around with her fingers, Jessie sat there in the dark. Some people slipped through the shadows as if giving her some time alone. She'd done the same thing when entering the cemetery.

"Hey," she mumbled to the tomb. "Long time, no see."

In truth, Jessie hadn't visited the tomb in years. She had to thank her father for that one. Jamie came to say his goodbyes here before heading over for collage. It was Jamie and the reading that had Jessie waiting for the day to turn night and break into the cemetery. She didn't see it as breaking-and-entering considering someone had already picked the lock for those like her to come in. Besides, those who were visiting never caused harm. They just wanted to visit family without prying eyes.

"I think Jamie's in trouble. If you want, you can verify with the other Beauvilliers. I'm pretty sure they saw Grams read her cards."

Crickets were all that answered her. Jessie finished the last of her drink. Placing the bottle next to her, she brushed aside her hair and scratched her hair. "So, Grams says I'll die if I go looking for him. A little ironic considering everything that happened. Sorry if you take that offensive. But as I was saying, my only options is to either leave him to fight his own battles or go saving him like usual. And believe me, I'm all for the ladder. Maybe I really am the fool."

She paused for a second when someone walked a row down from her. This was a conversation she wanted to have in peace.

"Dad doesn't know about this so I can still come up with some lame excuse. God, I'm so not looking forward to that talk." Jessie paused while twisting her finger in a blue strand. A part of her wondered why she was even here. Perhaps it was twenty-four years of guilt finally coming out. Either way, she was here talking to those who died before her in hopes of some supernatural sign.

"I just need you to point me in the right direction. Just give me something."

There was no surprise when all she got was a small gust of wind. Shaking her head, she figured this was stupid. No matter what the cards said, Jamie was her twin and he was in trouble. Family was supposed to have your back no matter what. Jessie's mind was made up the moment she returned home. Coming here was just a waste of time. Right now she should be packing and booking a flight to Caldwell. She'd drag her brother's sorry ass out of danger and all the way back home if she had to.

Jessie reached for her bottle so she could throw it away.

A distinctive crack came from under her palm.

Raising her hand, Jessie caught sight of a crack running from the base of the bottle all the way up to the tip. It started out ragged at the bottom but became a perfect line reaching for the top. The bottle then shattered to pieces as if some invisible force tapped it. Brown shards reflected the moon's light into Jessie's eyes.

She rose to face the tomb. Rubbing the lily birthmark on her skin, she crossed the gap and stood right in front of the tomb. She placed her hand over Abrial's name to trace the letters.

"Alright. I'm bringing him home."

* * *

"I think you should take it easy."

"You know what?" Fhear was facing a wall so he swung around and nearly fell on the ground. Luckily the bar was behind him so he stumbled back until his ass plopped down on the stool. "Maybe you should take it easy."

The prince's best friend, Dhusk, waved his hands around since he was sprawled all over the couch. "I don't know if I could take it easy any further. Ahgony, why don't you take that bottle before he busts his head wide open?"

Even though he was heavily intoxicated, Fhear managed to growl at his other friend when an unwanted hand reached for the crystal decanter. His fingers then fumbled around as he poured himself another round of whiskey. The prince had been drinking his problems away ever since he and the others returned to the mansion.

The private discussion between father and son might as well have knocked out all of the previous arguments before landing up on top of all the rest.

A part of the argument was that Wrath and Cohnrad already agreed on when the mating ceremony would be. The announcement took ten drinks for Fhear to get over it. As for why he was still drinking, it was thanks to the fact that his father told his friend and the others not to bother the prince while in the meeting. So the fact that he missed the Scribe Virgin really pissed him off.

Finish off his drink and refilling his cup, the prince was about to toss it back when he paused in mid-drink. While Ahgony sat next to him and Dhusk occupying an entire couch, there was another couch being used as a resting spot for a male. Hhavoc, who had been laying down to get some rest, was now pinching his eyes like he was experiencing a massive migraine. He gritted his teeth and started rubbing his temples.

"Cuz?" called out Dhusk.

"Fine," he bit back.

No matter how drunk Fhear was, his foggy mind could see the male was in pain. And while his head was thinking rationally for a second, this wasn't the only time when Hhavoc had been hurting this much. Some days he had been able to bear with his ability to hear the sounds while some he managed to cover it up. It was just now the three were starting to find their friend on his back more than usual.

"I think we should tell someone," whispered Ahgony.

"I heard you!" Hhavoc made a move to sit up only to fall back down. He gripped the couch and dug his fingers deep into it. "Things have just been getting louder lately," he said with a winded breath. "Let me get some rest and I'll be fine."

Fhear wanted to believe the male he had this ability of his under control. Not once had it crippled him in battle. But if he himself admitted that things were getting louder, it was only a matter of time before the Brotherhood found out about this little secret. Then all four of their heads would end up on pikes. Well, maybe not Fhear's.

"Okay, then. What about, Dhusk? When's Wrath going to see if you don't go psycho on us?"

Ahgony's little distraction helped the group since Dhusk started talking. There was a momentary pause where six eyes watched Hhavoc. Turned out the male was done for the night because he fell asleep on the couch. Seeing him knocked out helped relieve the tension in the room so Dhusk continued to help the situation by going from his meeting with the king to some random stuff.

The distraction also gave time for Fhear to continue with his pity drinking. Pouring the drink in his crystal cup, he was about to take a sip when he heard a crack. He glanced around the room to see if anything broken when the sound came from his hand. Tilting the cup at an angle, a nasty looking crack had formed at the center base of the cup and reached up all the way up to the rim in a perfect line.

Fhear jumped when the cup shattered in his hand.

Everyone except for Hhavoc bolted from where they were sitting. As for Fhear, he remained paralyzed with liquor all over his pants.

"What the hell was that?"

"You did something!"

Now all three males jumped out of their skin when they heard the feminine voice. Actually, Hhavoc just raised his head as if being startled before going back to sleep.

Standing in the doorway were the twins Evelyn and Frédérique. Frédérique stood behind her older sister with Evelyn glared at the males. Taking one hand from her hip and pointing an accusing finger at the four of them, she angrily puffed blond hair out of her face. "Confess!" she announced. "What have you done?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" snapped Fhear.

"That's bad luck," came a low voice from Frédérique. "You've done something and now you're being warned. Should we tell _mahmen_?" The question was between sisters.

"Hey now!" Dhusk started waving his hands for everyone to take a breather. "We don't need to involve anyone, especially Victoria. Maybe the glass already had a crack in it. Surly nothing weird caused it."

Evelyn held out her arm when her twin attempted to step forward. The twins were just as bad as Bayne and Hhavoc. At least they could blame it as the remnants of the curse their parents shared. Both twins were wild just like their _mahmen_ was. The only thing different the two was that Frédérique was the one who would go chomp-chomp on people if it weren't for her sister keeping her in the gates. If Evelyn was preventing Frédérique from sharpening her teeth on them, surely the older sister wanted this little warning heard without blood being drawn.

"Uh, we just walked in here and saw the glass break into a billion pieces. That's supernatural for you."

"We're vampires," yawned Hhavoc with his eyes shut. "Nothing can get more supernatural than that."

"Its bad luck," repeated the younger twin. She turned her silver gaze over to Fhear. "Glass breaking like that can either lead to something unfortunate. Better fix whatever you've done before it happens."

No one got to ask what Frédérique meant because she took off. Her twin glanced behind her before rolling her eyes. She quickly gave them a deadly glare and ran after her sister. Once they were far away, the males sighed and sat back down. Hhavoc flipped around on his side and buried his head in a bunch of pillows.

"I still can't believe they're our aunts," Hhavoc muffled.

Three agreements came from the others.

Thanks to the foreboding from the breaking glass and the twins, Fhear wiped his shirt of any glass remains and reached over for the decanter. When he was about to lean over for another drink, something in the drink caught his eye so he brought the decanter close to him. There wasn't anything in the liquid. He placed the decanter on the bar and stood up. What he saw must've been the result of too many drinks. Surely he could blame it on that.

Fhear swore he saw a lily in his drink.

* * *

Hopping off the trolley and heading down Bourbon Street, Jessie made sure to keep a tight grip on her phone as she shoved her way to her apartment. She'd been on the phone ever since leaving the cemetery and was now this close in booking the first flight out to Caldwell. All she had to do now was wait to hear her operator confirm her ticket.

Some people stumbled into Jessie who pushed them to the curb. One person accidently tripped and fell against a car. Everyone laughed when the car's alarm went off. More people either walked into her or nearly fell on her so Jessie moved over closer to the buildings. At least those people who were already drunk were either sitting or using the buildings for support. This was Bourbon Street after all.

Jessie cheered when the operator informed her that her ticket was now in her email box. Her flight would leave at six in the morning. Right now it was barely one so she had plenty of time to pack and get to the airport. Perhaps catch a few ZZs before boarding. Jessie hung up and jogged the rest of the way home. There weren't any people loitering around the front gate which was nice. Taking out her keys and opening up the gate, Jessie was about to step through when she noticed her mailbox. The little flap was up as a sign she had mail. Knowing that a mailman never worked late, she opened up the box and pulled out something wrapped in brown paper. There was an envelope in-between the rope keeping the paper tied.

Locking the gate behind her and walking inside her apartment, Jessie untied the paper for it to reveal a stack of tarot cards. She instantly recognized them for they were her grams. Placing the cards on the stairs, she ripped open the envelope and pulled out a crisp paper with fine penmanship written on it.

 _You may need these._

Taking a seat on her stairs and picking up the stack, a hint of curiosity had her flipping over the first card. Either Grams thought it would be funny or the world was out to get her because she held the Lovers card in her hand. Twirling it around, she set the card aside and started slipping through the stack until she found the Death card. She stared at this one card for a very long time.

"Well," she said to the card, "I have some business to take care of so no funny tricks."

Jessie picked up the cards and headed upstairs to start packing. However, the first thing she did once she was in her room was grab her black BB Dakota Brody Drapey jacket, flipped it open, and slid the Death card in the front pocket. This little trinket would be a nice reminder as too why she was in Caldwell and wouldn't stop until she found Jamie.

No way was she going to let Fate's little promise keep her from bringing her brother home.


	6. Chapter 6

_Sorry for the late update. Been busy with school and preparing for finals TT_TT Hope you enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter Six

Eight days later…

Shutting the book shut and shoving it across the table, Fhear raked a hand through his hair and leaned back in his chair. No one was in the study so he kicked his feet up on the table, not caring that he knocked over a bunch of pointless books. When the male tipped his head back to stare up at the ceiling, thoughts of the future began to cluster around his already packed head.

Five months.

In five months, the prince would be mated to Cohnrad's daughter.

There was no denying the fact that he got to spend some time with the female. Claudya was a nice female with a warm voice and kind eyes. Any male would be lucky to have her. It was just that she wasn't his female. And in truth, Fhear felt as if the feelings were mutual on her end as well. There had been many times when they wouldn't speak as if they ran out of what to say. Well, guess they would have to work on that later in life.

With the keeping the date quiet, other things were going on around Fhear which he felt left out of. Dhusk was back in the field as Hhavoc's partner. The cousins were back to their unique routine with the addition of Ahgony now that the male was part of their patrol. Fhear's friends were together on the streets looking after each other's backs while he sat in the study reading stuffy books.

Even though it sounded childish, Fhear was on the verge of jacking his father's hira shurikens and using the books as moving targets. Wrath thought he was sneaky in hiding his old weapons after his son used them in the raid a month ago. Too bad he found them two days later. The male's fingers itched to feel the cool metal under his touch. He yearned to have them in his hands and use them where it mattered.

Fhear knew his friends were out tonight so it was just him in this giant room. After reading three big books for an hour each, he just couldn't take it any longer. Fhear got up to his feet and tossed on his leather jacket. No one was nearby since they believed he would be in the study all night. In fact, the Brothers had been a little lax when it came to their prince doing princely stuff. Even his father was starting to give him a little more room on his leash.

Just double checking to make sure he didn't have some shadow keeping an eye on him outside the study, Fhear dematerialized from the mansion and reappeared somewhere no one would think to look for him. Stepping out of the alley and crossing the street, the male walked right up to two bouncers keeping an eye on the line outside the club. Both of them were males who waved him in. They must've assumed he was one of the Brothers. Fhear laughed to himself on how he wished that was true.

The prince stood at the entrance of Nightfall.

Blue lights flashed over the club. Both humans and vampires danced in the center of the floor with the DJ up in her stand. Tables on the first and second floor were all occupied by customers. Staff were easy to pick out thanks to their black shirts. Tonight appeared to be one of its normal nights considering the owner liked to do themes on occasions. All Fhear knew about the owner was that he went by the name Jaga. Dhusk's female, Paige, used to work at the club so she told them that much about the male.

The Brothers hardly visited Nightfall. Majority of them preferred Iron Mask so Fhear didn't have to worry about any of them finding him here. Besides, this little trip was to help relieve him of any stress he developed over the last few days.

First place Fhear went to was the bar on the first floor. Bartenders were making drinks left and right with remarkable time. Customers came and went with spending what seemed only half a minute waiting. When Fhear walked up, one bartender gave him a look before asking what he wanted. The male stuck with his usual which was a shot of whiskey. Turning his back on the bartender to get him his drink, Fhear watched as everyone enjoyed themselves.

It had been like this for him for a short given time. He trained with Ahgony and other pretrans when he was young. No one treated him like a prince during those days. Feeling like he was one of them made things seem possible. All of that changed the day after his transition. Then it was like all the fun in his life was pushed aside to make room for the next king.

Fhear knew he would have to ascend to the throne. It just felt like it was moving too fast and he didn't like it one bit. His life was no longer his but a chess piece waiting to be moved. Claudya was the first move of his already decided future. Now it was only a series of turns before he found himself ruling over a nation.

Really needing his drink, Fhear turned back around and found himself staring at nothing in his hands. He glanced up at the bartender to see what the deal was when he noticed someone a bit bigger whispering something to the bartender. When the two looked at Fhear, he couldn't help himself when he swallowed a lump in his throat. He then couldn't swallow when two giant bodies appeared right behind him.

"Fuck," he muttered to himself.

"You need to come with us," said the male walking around the bar.

Fhear pushed himself away from the counter. "And why is that?" he asked.

Two strong hands clamped down tight around his shoulders. "Underage," they said in unison as they began to drag the prince away.

When Fhear thought they would drag him out of the club, they gave him a great surprise when they began to drag him upstairs. Heading past curious eyes and further into the darkest part of the club, the male who didn't hold a part of Fhear led them to a wall resting between two marble statues. Fhear was momentarily confused when the male in the front knocked on the wall. His surprise hitched up when the wall opened up to reveal a male opening the hidden door. The two males behind the prince pushed him in. Fhear watched as the secret door was shut and locked behind him.

Thick oak doors occupied both sides of the walls. They were so thick that not a single sound could be heard. Fhear wondered what was on the other side of those doors when he saw a female walk out of one. His little group passed her right in time for him to take a peek inside. Right before the door was shut, the prince saw a dark room with a male and two females on the bed resting in the center of the room. As for the female glancing at them, she gave them a fanged smile before heading down the opposite way with a silver tray tucked in her arms.

Now that Fhear got a feeling as to why the doors were so thick, the idea of dematerializing out of the club occurred to him. It sounded like a good plan until they stopped in front of a pair of doors at the end of the hallway. The male in the front knocked. A faint voice came from the other end. As the male opened the doors, the two behind Fhear pushed him inside.

On one side of the room were picture frames perfectly lined together. They were all of an old European city. A nice mix of the ancient and modern world, the city held much of its old history which had survived the power of time. The other side of the room was the same perfect line of pictures. Unlike the city, this row were of old towns around jungles and mountains. It reminded Fhear of the old civilizations who decided to change very little while remaining true to its roots.

In the center of the room were two chairs facing a desk. The black leather chair behind the desk was turned around, facing the wall heavy with monitors recording everything going on in the club. Fhear could hear heavy breathing coming from the chair. One of the males guided the prince to one of the empty seats and pushed him down. As Fhear settled in his chair, he noticed there was a single picture frame on the organized desk. It was facing towards the turned chair so he couldn't see the picture.

"Глоба! Аз ще се прибера скоро. Само не прави нищо глупаво. Трябва да тръгвам."

The chair shifted as whoever ended the phone call placed their cell on the desk. Without turning around, the hand waved and one of the males stepped forward. He handed the person a file and stepped back. A tired sigh came from the chair as the sound of papers flipped.

"Now what is the prince doing in my club?"

Fhear took in a deep breath. He wasn't stupid. The moment they entered the room, the prince knew who was in that chair. What he wanted to know was why the male hadn't turned around to face him.

Still not turning around, Fhear kept an eye as he knew the male named Jaga placed the file next to his cell phone. The front page appeared to be in Spanish which wasn't Fhear's strong suite. He turned his attention from the file and back to the chair.

"I'm not here to cause trouble," he stated.

"Trouble? Why would you bring trouble?"

The way how Jaga spoke had Fhear calculating his next words. It was like he was playing a game of hunter and hunted. And from what he could tell, Fhear was on the wrong end of the stick.

"I didn't mean it like that. If you want me to go, I'll leave right now."

"Are we to expect the Brotherhood to step under my roof?" asked Jaga. "One would think our prince would be heavily protected. Or that would be assumed if he wanted to be protected. Are you using my club to escape your guards?"

This Jaga was a quick one when assessing situations. He already figured out why Fhear was in his club and was already thinking of a hundred situations to take action. Now if only Fhear could see his face, he could look him in the eyes to see what kind male he really is. Talking to just a chair was starting to mess with his nerves.

"I just came to clear my head. I swear I don't have any intentions of using your club as a hideout."

Fhear sat in silence as he awaited Jaga's next question. Instead, the male with his back to the prince waved his hand once more. One of the males behind Fhear picked him up by the arm and started guiding him back to the door. Jaga held up his hand for them to stop. His men did exactly what their boss told them to do.

"I still haven't forgotten about you and your friend hacking my system. Perhaps I should send anyone who wishes to try a message. Remember, I said I wasn't afraid of the Brotherhood."

The grip around his arm tightened. Fhear already knew these males surrounding them wouldn't hesitate to leave a mark on their prince. "I apologize," he said in hopes of getting on Jaga's good side. "We were just making sure a friend of mine was fine. We never meant to insult you."

"And would be this be the same friend who handed in her resignation?"

Jaga must've been talking about Paige. The human had to resign to start her month training with Lassiter. It would've been difficult to keep her job while learning to control her ability.

"If Ms. Collins ever wishes to resume her work here, tell her I have her job waiting. Maybe even a promotion. It's all up to her and her future _hellren_." The chair shifted a bit. "Escort the prince to the back so he may return home safely. I don't want him getting harmed on my grounds." Fhear saw the males around him nodding to their commands. "And Fhear."

Jaga finally turned around to face his prince.

Fhear couldn't help but gap at who sat before him.

"Tell Mehrcy's grandchildren to keep their pets off of my estate. I won't be held accountable if they never come back."

And with a wave of his hand, the males began to lead Fhear out of the room. But no matter how strong they were, the prince continued to stare at the male who returned the stare with a steady gaze.

Bhrutal.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Materializing back in the study, Fhear had just returned when he nearly jumped out of his skin. He was jittery thanks to his little run-in with Bhrutal. The first time he saw the male made him nervous. Actually speaking to him scared the shit out of him. Now there was the fun fact that he wasn't afraid of the Brotherhood and that he was the mysterious neighbor by the estate. No wonder Tohrment told him to be careful around the male. Fhear felt that Bhrutal was the type of male who would take matters into his hand without fearing the consequences.

As for why he had a mini-heart attack was because he wasn't the only one in the study. The prince expected it to being one of the Brothers since he had been gone for a bit. Instead, Fhear saw Lassiter standing in front of a large bookshelf. The angel didn't react when Fhear called his name. He just stood there like he was in a trance or something. Fhear approached Lassiter and patted him on the shoulder. The contact spooked the angel because he flinched from contact.

"You okay?" asked Fhear.

Lassiter blinked at the prince before scanning the room as if he didn't remember entering. He then turned back to look at the bookshelf as if it held any answers. Fhear skimmed over the books to see which section it was. A part of him wondered if it was a coincidence that he found the angel in front of the mythology section. Each spine was labeled in different languages for different myths for certain countries. The section just above Lassiter's head a bunch of thick books with one slim one squished in the center.

Something about the tiny book didn't seem right. Since Fhear spent quite a lot of time in the study, his mind quickly registered the book as the only French book in the section. He always found it strange how it had been shoved between the Russian and Persian books. Maybe it was the only book someone could find to separate the two sections. Either way, it was so skinny one could easily miss it.

Fhear backed up when Lassiter shifted over to the left and stood in front of the other shelf. The shelf contained a heavy array of giant books. Lassiter bent down to his knees and skimmed the books with his fingertips. When he stopped at one book, the angel got back and resumed his position in front of the previous book case.

"Lassiter?"

"Fuck," mumbled the angel. "Fuck no. Please, no."

The angel spun around on his heels and marched right past Fhear. There was a wild look in the angel's eyes which prompted Fhear to stop him. Grabbing him by the arm and holding on tight, Fhear was shocked when Lassiter didn't stop and actually dragged him across the floor before realizing he had extra weight. Glancing down to find the prince's hard grip, Lassiter's eyes traveled up his arm and looked at Fhear.

"What's wrong?"

Lassiter jerked his arm out of Fhear's hold. His eyes shifted past the prince and back to the bookshelves. "I don't remember walking in here," he confessed.

If the angel didn't remember coming into the study, maybe he didn't notice the prince missing. Fhear silently thanked his luck for this tiny blackout. His little celebration was put on halt as he noticed that wild look in the angel grow.

"God, please let this pass by."

"Lassiter!" Fhear jumped in front of the angel to prevent him from leaving. "Tell me what's going on. I found you staring at that bookshelf and now you're like someone ready to run for the hills. Why are you freaking out?"

The angel placed his hand on Fhear's shoulder to move him aside. "If they're just passing, hopefully nothing." Lassiter took a step forward and stopped. "But if they're staying, we're in a lot of trouble."

Before Fhear could ask the angel to clarify, Lassiter bolted out of the study. Now that Fhear was the only one left in the room, the angel's words didn't settle well with him. Fhear looked over at the bookshelves. He easily remembered which one the angel found so that was the first book he pulled out. Looking at the cover, it was just a plain leather-bound book with foreign words written on it. Fhear was going to have to use a translator if he wanted to find out what language it was. His next stop was in front of the shelf he found Lassiter standing in front of.

Fhear pulled out the French book. The cover was just like the big book in his hands with French words on it. But unlike the other book which had nothing but words on its cover, the little book had a golden lily in the center.

* * *

Fhear glanced up from his table when he heard the front door opening and shutting. In front of the prince were the two books he found in the study, his laptop, a notepad with his translations, and a plate of chicken parmesan. Taking a break from his translating, Fhear swallowed a piece of his chicken as Ahgony took a seat across from his friend.

"Dhusk said you were here." Ahgony reached over and plucked a piece of chicken for himself. "So what are you doing at iAm's place?"

"Needed a change in scenery," he told his friend.

Then again, this was the only place Fhear figured would be safe to come hangout at. The encounter with Bhrutal was still messing with him. Going somewhere where he knew no one would be giving him threats ended up with him coming to Sal's Italian Restaurant. Fhear took a seat at the back booth two hours ago after telling Dhusk where he was going. Having Ahgony sitting across from him meant his friend was done with his shift.

"So what's all this?" The male picked up the big book Fhear had yet to translate. Right now he was working on the French one which was proving to be more difficult than he thought.

"Lassiter was freaking out and these were the books he stopped in front of. I'm just trying to figure out what's written in them."

Ahgony put the book back on the table. "Well, that one looks French. Why not ask Victoria or the twins to translate?"

"No. I want to see what had the angel acting like he was seeing a ghost."

Flipping a page, Fhear typed the first paragraph in the little box on Google Translate and wrote down the paragraph in English. He made sure to underline the words that didn't fit in with the sentences so he could solve them.

"Aw, hell."

Just as soon as Ahgony spoke, Fhear felt his seat take a dip. The book he was translating slid closer to him like someone was trying to make room on the table. Fhear heard his friend grunt as he scooched further down the end. For two hours, no one bothered Fhear and he liked the quiet. And after two hours of peace and quiet, he had no choice but to see who invited themselves to sit at his booth.

Fhear was stuck at a crossroad of being relieved or annoyed that it was Vishous and Rhage who joined the two.

"Doing a little midnight reading?" teased Rhage.

Before the older Brothers could crack jokes, Fhear shut the book and his notebook. He was about to take the big book when V snatched it. The male flipped through the pages and looked at the cover. Apparently Fhear wasn't on his game because Rhage swiped the other book from right under him. While rubbing his eyes, he could hear Rhage snicker to himself as he went through the book.

"A little old for picture books?"

"It's not a picture book," snapped Fhear as he reached for the book. Rhage held it on the other side, practically dangling the book over the floor.

"I had no clue you knew Bulgarian," V commented.

"Well, I don't." Fhear tried to reach for the book Rhage took hostage. The male continued to lean further away. "But thanks for telling me what language it is. It'll make things a bit easier."

"And why are you reading Bulgarian mythology?"

"Ask Lassiter!" he bit out.

Fhear made another attempt of retrieving his book. With Rhage having too much fun with the game, the male was leaning so far he had to hold onto the booth from falling over. None of the customers in the restaurant paid attention to them as if this was on a normal basis. The only people who glanced over and giggled were the waitresses. It was them who were used to the Brotherhood and their interesting personalities.

"Hey, V? Isn't this some—"

The book was jerked out of Rhage's hand.

While the Brother scrambled around so he wouldn't fall on his face, the three males snapped their attention at the person holding the book.

"La Chanson de Lily. The Lily's Song for those who don't know French."

Holding the book was a human woman. Tapping the cover once, she shrugged her shoulders and held the book next to her hip like she owned it.

The first thing that caught Fhear's attention was her hair. Mixed in the dark hair were indigo stripes. One stripe hung on the side of her face while the rest of her hair was tied back in a wild ponytail. Taking a moment of getting over the blue in her hair, Fhear noticed the clothes the woman was wearing. Blue must've been her favorite color or something because she wore a dark blue crop top and dark navy jeans with a black fleur-de-lis design on the left leg. Even her lace cut out boots were a shade of dark blue.

"Care to give it back?" Rhage asked so kindly.

The woman tipped her head to the side and pursed her lips. "Hmm?" she hummed while tapping her chin. "Nope." She then turned on her heels and walked away from the booth to the one in the center of the restaurant. While Rhage was gaping at the human who told him no, Fhear and the others were looking over the booth. The watched as the woman bent down to pick up a backpack with a matching fleur-de-lis keychain dangling in the front. She tossed the bag over her shoulder and was actually walking to the front door.

"Move." Fhear didn't wait for Rhage to move. The prince flat-out pushed the Brother on the floor and hopped over his body. Ignoring the males who were acting like they had to protect their prince, Fhear jogged right up to the woman and stopped when she bent down to retrieve something. As she came back up, she spun around to face Fhear.

With the help of her boots, the woman slightly tilted her head to stare Fhear in the eyes. He knew he was going to ask for his book back but found himself staring into her eyes which was a greyish blue color. The colors were perfectly mixed with one another that only a strong bloodline who survived many generations could only possess eyes like these.

"Uh?" Fhear paused so he could clear his throat. "Mind if I have my book back?"

The woman flipped the book around in her hand. "I don't think so." She gave Fhear a devilish smirk. "La Chanson de Lily is an old Frankish legend. I think it might be a little too challenging for someone who's using the internet to translate."

"How did—"

"I saw you when I came in an hour ago. Really sad, actually. And this is such a good tale." The woman patted the cover with whatever she picked up in her hand. "You should take some lessons before checking out this book."

Before she could so much as wave a goodbye, Fhear put a lesson he learned a second ago in play and snatched what was in her hand. Whatever game she had been playing didn't appear to be fun anymore when he took what was in her hand. From the feel of it, Fhear could safely assume it was a picture.

"Fine. You keep the book and I keep this."

Fhear thought he had the upper hand when the woman didn't say anything. How wrong he was when she smirked and leaned over to his ear. Her breath brushed against his skin that Fhear felt his body tingle. "I've played this game many times," she whispered. Fhear felt a slight pinprick of pain radiate from his hand along with the picture being slipped out of his grasp. "And I always win."

With a triumphant smirk on her face and the picture between her fingers, the woman's eyes shifted past Fhear over to where he knew the Brothers were keeping a sharp eye on her. As if the males weren't a threat to her, she returned her focus on the book as if it held some meaning to her. Since she was occupied with the book, Fhear figured he could get his book and be done with her. He was even prepared to get it when he saw the picture in her hand.

"Who's that?"

Hearing his question, those strange eyes shifted to the male and everything coy about her vanished into thin air. The gaze staring straight at Fhear reminded him of any Brother who was about to go into battle.

The woman flipped the picture around and held it up so he could get a good look. In the picture was the woman with an older gentlemen and a man who looked her age. In fact, the woman and man looked like twins. She tapped a finger on who Fhear presumed was her brother.

"Have you seen this guy?" she asked.

Fhear held up his hand and took the picture to get a better look. Now with the picture close to his face, a lump formed in the prince's throat which he managed to swallow. When he glanced at the woman, he saw how she was watching for any signs of recognition. He had the feeling she would know if he lied to her. The best thing he could do right now was give her a little bit of the truth.

"Once," he answered while handing the picture back. "I saw him walking the streets with some interesting friends. If I were you, I wouldn't get involved with him."

"Too late." The woman stuffed the picture in her pocket. Taking one more look at the book, she shoved it into Fhear's arms who almost dropped it. "I need to know where it was you last saw him."

"Sorry, that was a month ago. Who is he?"

The woman looked over her shoulder at the door like she wanted to leave right away. She shook her head and folded her arms across her chest. "He's my twin," she replied. "I'm looking for him. Can you remember any specific details on the place you last saw him? It would help me out a lot."

All Fhear could do was shake his head.

"Great," she snarled. Shifting her shoulder to adjust her backpack, the woman blindly looked around and started shifting on her feet. "The one lead I have on him and I have to go looking in every shadow."

Speaking of leads, Fhear needed something from this woman so he needed to play his cards right. Anything odd and he might cause her to be suspicious. "What's your brother's name?" When she turned her gaze back to him, the prince took a deep breath so he could keep up the ruse. "Caldwell is a big city. It might've been a month ago, but there's a slight chance I might run into him again. If I do, I know what to call him and tell him someone's looking for him."

"Good luck with that. I've been in this city for eight days and zip." That smirk of hers returned. "His name is Jamie. Jamie du Bois. And if you do lay eyes on him, tell him his sister is looking for him. I like to hang at this place so he can find me here."

"And your—"

Fhear didn't get a chance to ask her name. The woman had already turned away and was opening the door to leave. "La Chanson de Lily is a really good story. Have someone who knows French to translate," she said before the door closed behind her.

Once she was gone, Ahgony and the Brothers approached their prince.

"Hey, V?"

"Yeah?"

Fhear looked over at the Brother. "I just got you the name of that _lesser_ we've been trying to find. And I think you might have a problem on your hands." When Fhear returned to staring at the door, the others followed his gaze. He was sure they understood what he meant by problem.

Finding one _lesser_ who was heavily guarded was trouble enough. Now the Brotherhood had to deal with the fact that his own flesh and blood was in the city looking for him. Even though Fhear just shared some words with the woman, the prince already knew this _lesser's_ sister was willing to do anything in order to find her brother.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

A car honking startled Jessie awake. Not her finest moment considering she hit her head against the door. Rubbing the back of her skull, she paused from how stiff her back was. This was what she got for sleeping in her rental Volkswagen Jetta for going on nine days. Renting the car was her way of avoiding hotel payments considering she didn't know how long she'd be in Caldwell. So for nine days, Jessie had been sleeping in the back seat of her car in a parking garage where no one bothered her while she slept during the day. Well, that was if no one decided to play with their horns.

Sitting up against the door and rolling her shoulder to get the kinks out, Jessie blew the wad of hair from her face while pushing her jacket she'd been using as a blanket on the floor. There were some candy wrappers dangling around her legs so she flicked them as well. As for the pesky Death card which was in the netted basket next to her face, she reached over to flip the card the other way around. She didn't feel like waking up today the reminder of her impending death.

Jessie reached for her cellphone and clicked the center button so she could see what time it was. A spark of amusement jumpstarted her sleepy body when her phone read two in the afternoon. Yesterday she'd slept until eleven-thirty and twelve the day before that. Waking up past her usual waking hour brought a sense of humor to it. Either way, with the two hours slept away, it only meant she had two extra hours on the streets looking for Jamie.

Thinking of her brother's name reminded Jessie of her little encounter not long ago. What the guy from Sal's said was the first mention of Jamie. She didn't matter if it was a month ago someone laid eyes on her brother. Her gut told her he was still in Caldwell and she would turn the city upside down if it meant finding her twin.

Tossing her phone, Jessie got up to her knees and reached over to the passenger seat. Like the other mornings when returning to the car, the first thing Jessie did was make sure she had a fresh pair of clothes in arms reach. Her suitcase was in the trunk so she'd pack the clothes in her backpack before hitting the hay. With her fingers curling around the soft fabric, she drew it to the backseat and started pulling out clothes.

Changing into a pair of jeans and a navy tank top under five minutes, she was fully clothed with battling her hair as the last priority. Jessie went to work on her hair while thinking of places she hadn't combed out yet. She was pretty sure she tore up the south side of Caldwell on her first four days and the east side on her other four. Day nine would now begin her trip on west side with her spending an hour at Sal's to wrap up the day.

Jessie found herself being optimistic with each brush. Perhaps Jamie had heard someone was looking for him. Whatever trouble he was in, maybe he managed to get loose for a while to come looking for her. There was always the chance of him leaving a message for her to find if he was in too deep. She could tick day nine next to the other tick marks under her sad daydream. Jamie lied to her in hopes of keeping her from coming after him. Thinking that he would actually risk his safety on following some rumor was stupid.

It was up to Jessie in finding him and dragging his sorry ass back to New Awlins.

Today was a victory for Jessie because her hair was straight. Doing a quick teeth brush and gurgling water, she shoved on her lace up boots and rolled out of the car. Today she wouldn't need her backpack. This was going to be a moving day and she didn't want anything holding her back if she needed to run.

Patting her pockets to make sure her wallet, phone, rental keys, and her picture were accounted for, Jessie pulled her black cap with a blue fleur-de-lis on the bill over her head and closed the door with her hip. Optimism must've been the word today because Jessie swore to herself that today would be the day she'd find something on her brother's whereabouts.

* * *

Something hard pushed Fhear, causing to him to roll off his bed. Falling flat on the floor, the male scrambled awake. Even though he knew he was awake, it was pretty hard to see considering a piece of paper which was stuck to the side of his face was obscuring his vision. He must've been drooling in his sleep if the paper was really sticking to him.

Thanks to the wakeup call from whoever pushed him, the prince knocked the paper off his face and wiped his face. There was a whole lot of dried drool so he made sure to clean his face real good. When he looked at his hand, he muttered a curse when he saw lead smudges covering his palm. No way was he looking in a mirror to see how bad the damage was.

Fhear used his other hand to rub the sleep out of his eyes when someone turned the lights on. The male shielded himself until his eyes adjusted to the brightness. He pushed himself off the floor with a few more papers descending from his body. Blinking a couple of times and yawning, Fhear found it was Ahgony who woke him up. Well, at least it wasn't one of the Brothers. If they saw him like this, they wouldn't let it go for a month.

"First Meal just started," informed his friend.

Still half asleep, Fhear sat down on his bed only to shift around since hundreds of papers occupied where he slept. His laptop rested on the floor, a clear sign he accidently knocked it over in his sleep. Fhear picked up the device and gave a tired laugh when he saw the screen wasn't damaged. With his finger over the mousepad, the tiny contact activated the laptop. The blank screen flipped on with a bunch of French translations appearing.

Ahgony bent down to retrieve La Chanson de Lily from the floor. The giant Bulgarian book rested right next to it, but the male ignored it since he knew the prince wasn't anywhere near translating the behemoth. As for La Chanson de Lily, the little book had so many sticky notes attached to it which was a clear indicator on how obsessed Fhear was on translating it.

"You do know this book is only two-hundred and eighty-seven pages, right?"

"I figured that out when it was three this morning," yawned Fhear.

"So you finished it?"

"Not exactly." Fhear took a moment to rub his face. He could feel where the evidence of his hard work was on his face. "Google Translate can get so many words right. I had to go back to page one to make sure I was reading the book right. And those," the male pointed to a mysterious stake of books Ahgony missed, "French dictionaries. More of a pain in the ass, but worth it. I finished translating every single word of La Chanson de Lily at five."

"And that would be three hours ago."

"Shut up."

The male tossed the book on Fhear's bed. "So did you figure out why Lassiter freaked?"

"I think the angel was on something." Fhear was on the verge of rubbing his eyes when he stopped. Taking a moment to look at his hands, he settled with wiping his bed. There was no way he was smearing lead over his tired eyes. "All I got from the story was about some godly sacrifice and how a twin switched spots for his brother. At the end of it, La Chanson de Lily is just some fairytale. A good one, but a fairytale."

Fhear heard his friend get up. Raising his head, he watched as Ahgony went over to the door and leaned out as if to see if anyone was coming by. When the coast was clear, the male pulled out some folded papers from his jacket and tossed the thick square at Fhear. He unfolded the square to sort through the papers.

"Dhusk and Hhavoc managed to print out copies before V check his computers," his friend said. "We got him, Fhear. We got info on Jamie du Bois."

Fhear took a look at the papers. A month ago, Vishous assumed Mr. J was some smart kid who could be accepted in MIT or Caltech. Turned out the Brother's hunch was right because Jamie attended MIT before dropping out a year ago. After that, du Bois went off the grid. The Brotherhood could safely assume the kid was recruited by the _Lessing Society_ and had been working for them the same time he left MIT.

Now that they could get a clue as to where to find the kid, Fhear went through the other papers V managed to dig up.

Jamie was a far way from home. Born and raised in Louisiana, Jamie had no family in Massachusetts so he went out in the world on his own. His father, Elliot du Bois, was in the Navy and currently in the middle of his tour. Going through the family bio, Fhear cringed when he read that Jamie's mother passed away twenty-four years ago. The male didn't have the heart to read the cause so he skipped over it.

The rest of the papers were a bunch of pointless transcripts and placements tests. The kid was a Brainiac when it came to tech so it wasn't a mystery as to how he got accepted to MIT. He had a bright future if it weren't for the _lessers_. Now this smart kid was their enemy. They just needed to catch him alive if they ever wished to know what the _lessers_ were cooking up.

When Fhear got to the last two pages, he paused when he saw family records. There weren't a lot of du Boiss where there were a whole lot of Beauvilliers. Fhear glanced over to the second page to find out most of it was covered with Beauvillier names reaching all the way back to France. The genealogy would interest any historian. As for Fhear, his eyes focused on the name lined next to Jamie's.

Fhear had been right about the Brotherhood running into trouble.

Turned out Jamie was born five minutes after his twin. Fhear had automatically assumed Jamie was the first born. Maybe it was a male thing. Either way, he had been wrong. Jamie was the little brother and had an older sibling even it if was minutes apart.

Born five minutes early and becoming the first born, Jessie du Bois was in Caldwell looking for her little brother.

A knock came from the door.

Ahgony eased the door open before swinging it wide enough for Dhusk and Hhavoc to sneak in. The cousins eyes the prince before shaking their heads like they didn't want to know. Fhear now felt the urge to wash his face. Who know how bad the smear job was.

"What's going on?" he asked.

It was Dhusk's turn to reveal a hidden square in his pocket. Unfolding the square to its original form, he flipped the three sheets of paper over since it was upside-down. "Ahgony mentioned the woman who you ran into last night. While I printed the copies on Jamie, I decided to get some info on Jessie as well. V's computers were looking her up as well so he won't notice some unusual activity."

Dhusk handed the papers to Fhear. It took the prince one look over before realizing how serious this was.

While Jamie was the smart one in the family, Jessie was the fighter. Starting from the first grade all the way up to her senior year, the girl held a record on detentions with a bunch of other Beauvilliers. Under each reasoning as to why she and who Fhear assumed were her cousins was because they were always fighting those who picked on Jamie. There were even a couple of police reports about her assaulting some people who messed with her twin.

"We're guessing you already knew she was a troublemaker," said Hhavoc.

"Yeah," Fhear admitted. "I got this vibe from her. Now I know she'll pick any fight when it comes to her twin." Folding up the sheets and setting them aside for the time, the prince no longer worried about his face getting blotched with lead. He rubbed his face long and hard. Taking a moment to sigh, he glanced up at his friends. "She said she's been in the city eight days looking for Jamie. Surely the _lessers_ got wind. If not, it's only a matter of time before they find out. What do you think the Brothers will do when they figure it out?"

"Who knows," answered Dhusk. "We might try to keep her out of the loop. Then again, if she's asking questions in all the wrong places, there's a chance we'll run into her. And after reading through her history, I'm kind of nervous if she comes swinging at us."

Both Ahgony and Hhavoc nodded in agreement.

Fhear could understand what his friend meant. Jessie was definitely a fighter and her brother's protector. The longer she continue to look for Jamie, the sooner she would find herself in the crosshairs of their war. And if the Brotherhood or _lessers_ caused harm to her brother, everyone would have to watch out for the human since she'll be out for blood. Fhear witnessed how she stood up to the Brothers in a playful manner. He now feared what would happen if she threw the first punch against the males.

Jessie du Bois was a catalyst waiting to go off. One spark and she would bring down a storm on whoever stood in her way.

* * *

Once the last ray of sun vanished behind the giant buildings, Jessie tossed her soda can to the ground and crushed it under her heel. Crumbling up the plastic paper in her hands and dumping it in the trashcan, she pushed herself from the wall she'd been leaning on. Night now ran Caldwell which meant it was Jessie's time to play.

She'd spent the moment of her waking hour scouring the streets of Caldwell's west side. People who were awake during the day didn't have the slightest clue as to who her brother was. As for those who stalked the night, there were some interesting characters. The guy back at Sal's was truly interesting. Thinking about him and his friends sent a thrill Jessie hadn't felt in a very long time.

With the sun down and the moon coming out for fun, Jessie turned on her heels and headed down the sidewalk. She avoided people leaving lobbies to fancy buildings since they were the kind of people who stayed away from trouble like the plague. The people Jessie mingled with for the last few days were the ones who worked in the shadows. Some were nice and chatter and others were those who liked to work in private. None of the dangers scared her.

Heading down the street with no destination in mind, minutes ticked to hours until Jessie found herself completely lost. Getting lost was one of the best ways to find the most informative people for the right price. Jessie hadn't found anyone worth the money so she still had the eight hundred tucked safely in her pocket.

As she continued her blind detour, a foul stench drifted to her nose. Taking a moment to sneeze, the smell grew that Jessie found herself following the trail. She wanted to know what would cause the scent of baby powder to smell so distasteful. The trail eventually led her to a large alley where a van was parked in front of the chain-link fence cutting the alley in half. Six men hung around the van like they were just chilling. A couple of guys had light colored hair while the others had white hair. All of their skin was pale white, almost as white as their empty eyes.

The stench was coming from them.

Before Jessie crossed the street, she rolled her shoulders back to loosen them. Flexing her fingers nice and good, Jessie strolled from her sidewalk over to the opposite side and walked right into the mouth of the alley. The six noticed her immediately because they stopped talking. The two with the light hair snickered as if this was some sort of joke. Their friends continued to stay on guard. Jessie made a note to be careful of the four.

"Hi," she greeted.

"Hello," spoke one of the white heads.

Jessie decided to make this talk short and sweat so she pulled out her picture of her family and held it up. Like many times, she pointed to Jamie and asked if they had seen him around. Half of her brain expected them to say no just like the other thousand who saw the picture. In fact, they even told her they hadn't seen her brother.

Their steady breathing told her otherwise.

"Are you sure?" she pushed. "Take a good look."

"We already said we haven't seen him," said another white head in a low voice.

Giving them a nod, Jessie slipped the picture back in her pocket and turned around. The only reason why she turned was just for dramatic effect. She even took a couple steps forward as if to walk away when she stopped and turned back around.

"Are you deaf?" shouted a light head. He hopped up from where he was sitting and approached Jessie. "We already told—"

Jessie threw a strong right hook.

As the body fell to her feet, Jessie kicked him in the chin. She heard as his head snapped against the concrete. Jessie calmly walked over the limp body to face off the other five. The light head was startled and stood in his spot. As for the other four, they were already in fighting stances with their hands resting on hidden weapons.

"You know my brother," Jessie said with venom in each word. "Now tell me what I want to know or you'll end up like your friend."

None of them spoke.

"Very well. Let's do this the hard way."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

"Now where do the four of you think you're going?"

Four friends stopped in their tracks. Standing on the left side of the Charger, Ahgony and Hhavoc dropped their heads in defeat since they saw who spotted them. Dhusk and Fhear had their backs to the door so they had to turn around. The prince was slightly surprised that half of the Brotherhood caught him and the males trying to bail out.

"Actually," Dhusk announced with a much too cheery voice, "it's five."

Even Fhear had to turn back around to see what his friend meant. The door to the Charger opened and someone pushed the seat back so they could step out.

The very reason why the males attempted to sneak out of the mansion together was so they could find Jessie and fix this complication before it became a problem. They were just going to head over to Sal's, wait for her to show up, erase her memories of her time in Caldwell, and send her back home. It was going to be an easy in and out job that no one would miss them. Now their plans went up in flames.

So Fhear really wanted to know why Paige was hiding in the back seat.

In the front of the mass of Brothers, Tohrment rubbed his eyes like this was too early. While the other Brothers were pretty much speechless, Fhear felt Dhusk tug him on the sleeve which was a clear sign to get to the car. The prince could slightly see the other two males on the others side easing closer to the door. As for Paige, she shimmied herself out and stood next to Dhusk.

"We get the four of you trying to sneak out," spoke Tohr. He pointed to Paige. "What exactly are you doing?"

Paige held up her hands and gave them a weak smile. "Oh, you know." She gave a sad laugh. "Something like this."

Paige flicked her hands.

All of the vehicles in the garage flipped over on their sides or stood on the back ends. Anything that was under a hundred pounds went sailing towards the Brothers who took the action of ducking.

"Go, go, go!" shouted Dhusk.

Fhear scrambled in after Paige. Hhavoc dived in on his side with Ahgony squishing himself in the passenger seat. Dhusk sucked in his gut as he slid in the driver's seat and turn the car on. Once the motor roared alive, the male stomped his foot on the gas and the Charger lurched out of the garage.

The male drove the vehicle straight to the front gates and narrowly made it since they were still opening. Speeding like a demon past the second gate and nearly sending the car flying from a sharp turn, Dhusk didn't once let off the gas as they sped down the road.

With the mansion growing smaller by the second, Fhear broke out of his shock to find himself squished up against the window. He glanced over and found Hhavoc in the same position. This was thanks to Paige who was sitting right between the two males. Well, not exactly sitting between them. There was hardly any room so she was sitting on top of their legs.

"Oh God," breathed Paige. "We are so dead."

"Yeah, well," Dhusk paused for a second so he could get a better hold over his ride, "they can stay pissed at us after we take care of Jessie."

"How long do you think it'll take them to realize where we're going?" Ahgony asked while pushing his seat back.

"Hopefully long enough for us to get this done with," grunted Fhear.

"Yo, Hhavoc?" Dhusk glanced up at his rearview mirror. "You good back there?"

Both Paige and Fhear turned their heads over to the male. Hhavoc was slumped in his seat with his shoulders bunched up. The more Ahgony adjusted his seat, the further Hhavoc slithered down in his seat.

"Sorry, man. Give me a second." As soon as Ahgony fixed his seat, Hhavoc instantly shot straight up on his side of the car, accidently knocking Paige on top of Fhear.

"We all good back here," Fhear said. "Now let's hurry up and get to Sal's."

* * *

Pulling up to the front of Sal's, Jessie put her rental in park and twisted the rearview mirror over so she could see her reflection. She gave herself a devious smirk as she set the mirror back in place. Her body wasn't as stiff which was a good sign. Now all she needed was a meal to go and see what the night had in store for her.

Turning off the car and slamming the door behind her, there was a little skip in her pace as she walked right up to the front door. When she stepped inside the restaurant, some people glanced over at her. Some even dropped their food like they couldn't believe who walked in. Jessie's little excitement jumped up a notch which fed her adrenaline. God, tonight was such a good night.

She strutted right over to her booth and kicked her feet up on the opposite chair. Two seconds later and she told the waitress she was bagging her food. As for her head, Jessie figured she needed to stop the little blood trickle so she ordered a glace of water with a bunch of ice. Jessie handed the waitress her money in advance and waited for her to leave before rolling her head back. It had been a while since she felt her muscle all bunched up from a big fight. She hadn't had a fight like this since the last week of senior year. And dear Lord, that had been the best fight she and her cousins had in their entire lives. Jamie didn't appreciate it since he was the cause of it like all the other countless ones. Either way, this one matched up to her graduation fight.

When her water was brought over, Jessie unwrapped the towel around her silverware, took the ice cubes from her drink, and pressed the homemade icepack against her head. She flinched from the cold touch before putting the pack against her nose. Oh, baby. Now that stung like a bitch. Maybe she should stop by a hospital to see if it was broken. Then again, that would cost money she couldn't afford. Dear Lord above, please let her nose not be broken.

A loud muscle car roared in the parking lot before going silent. Hearing the door up front open with a bunch of hushed voices, Jessie closed her eyes as she thought of a plan. The reason why she moved her rental was because she was going to find a garage on the west side to camp out on. Those smelly bastards knew about her brother and wouldn't so much as say a word, even after she handed them their own asses. She hadn't seen any of them on her other adventures so that meant the west side was her best chance of finding Jamie.

"Uh, hey?"

Jessie peeled one eye open in hopes of telling whoever it was to piss off. When she saw it was the guy from the other night, her fighting streak took a pause long enough for her to smile. She also noticed the friends around him. The one with the sick hair color was with him last night. His hair was mixed with red and yellow that Jessie found herself calling him Chilly Pepper in her head.

It took a bunch of willpower not to laugh.

Behind the guy and Chilly Pepper, there his buddy with white hair almost like those who she fought. As Jessie took a closer look at the white head, there weren't any signs of dye and he didn't smell like the others. Now it took a whole punch of restraint when she thought of the name Snow Globe for the dude. As for the third friend with his arm around his lady, they were the normal bunch of the group. Snow Globe and the black haired guy must've been related because they had the same shade of eyes.

"Bonsoir! Fancy seeing you guys again."

They just gave her a nod. Jessie waited for a second for any of them to say something. When crickets started playing in the background, the icy sting in her hands was a nice reminder as to why they were staring. Besides the worry of a broken nose, Jessie was sporting a nice bruise under her left eye, a bleeding scar right above her right eyebrow, another bruise sprouting over her cheek down to her chin, clothes nice and bloody with something she assumed was dirk mixed with oil over her clothes, and her hair looking like a rat's nest.

And she smelled just like the fuckers she put a beating on.

"Oh, this?" She waved at her body. "The others look worse."

Jessie spotted the waitress bringing her little to-go bag. Hopping up from her seat and thanking the waitress, she slung the bag over her shoulder and dumped the melting ice cubes back in the glass.

"You found a lead on your brother?" asked the guy she first met.

"Yep. Well, not really. They wouldn't give me anything when I asked nicely. So it was a fight of six against one. And guess who came out on top? This one here, baby! But they still wouldn't talk. I had to bail when the cops came by. Now I'm—"

"You should stop."

Jessie stopped in her victory speech. Blinking with an empty head, she glanced over at his friends who shared her same expression.

"I said the guys I saw your brother hanging out with were bad news. Surely you can understand that after going up against them. You should stop and head back home."

Still blinking like an owl, Jessie leaned right up to the guy. Her nearness had him leaning back. Once their noses nearly touched, she brought up her hand so she could whisper into his ear.

"Are you psychic?"

The guy jumped back. "Wait? What? What do you mean psychic?"

Jessie stood up straight and brought her bag from her shoulder to her waist. "Because if you are, then you should definitely know I'm not leaving until I find my brother. And don't worry. I have a whole bunch of family members who does the psychic thing back at home. You being one doesn't freak me out."

"I'm not psychic!"

"Oh." Jessie sighed in disappointment. "That's too bad."

"Yeah, you can tell he's not psychic."

Jessie and the guy glanced over at Snow Globe who was pointing to the front. The two of them leaned forward to see through the windows facing the parking lot. Parked next to the rental was a black Charger. Two large headlights pulled up next to the Charger and shut off to reveal a black Escalade.

"Damn, that was fast," muttered the guy.

As some of the people Jessie saw with her friend here last night, she knew family drama when she saw it. Seeing a bunch of men stepping out a money ride wearing angry faces sent alarms ringing like crazy.

Before the Abercrombie models on steroids came crashing the party, Jessie surprised the guy by placing a hand on his shoulder with a firm grip. She then looked him in the eyes with complete seriousness. "Yo, what's your name?" she asked.

"It's Fhear."

"Fhear? Huh, strange name." Jessie patted Fhear on the shoulder. "I shall pray for you."

"Are being serious?" he shouted.

Jessie withdrew her hand and stuck out her tongue. "One hundred percent," she laughed.

Giving him a friendly wave goodbye, Jesse strolled right up to the front door which opened for the models. They all froze when they saw Jessie block their path. The stench or the appearance, Jessie just gave them a wide smile and shoved past them. When she got outside, their bodies were standing around the Escalade.

Perhaps renting a hotel for one night so she could use a shower was what she needed. As Jessie opened her car door, the models by the Escalade watched her with wide eyes. Okay, the need for a shower was eminent when Jessie turned the car on. The first thing she did was turn off the air conditioner and roll down her window.

Staying in a hotel for one night wasn't going to kill her. Besides, she would consider it as a treat for herself for doing such an awesome job for tonight. She figured more leads were waiting for her were on the west side and now knew the guy's name from last night.

Something weird was happening with Fhear and it didn't have to do with the fact that he and his friends were being chewed out in Sal's. The guy clearly wanted her out of town. If he'd been psychic, Jessie would've taken his word as a caution. But since he wasn't, the guy knew something and wasn't sharing. Now that Jessie knew his name, she would do her best to keep a sharp eye on him. It was just her looking for Jamie so she'd need to keep her friends close and her enemies closer.

Jessie giggled to herself as she pulled out of the parking lot and drove off. One wouldn't consider this as a game, but this would be the best game she'd ever play. Finding out which category Fhear fell into at the end made it so exciting.


	10. Chapter 10

_Hi, hi! Well, it's that time of year again. Finals are wrapping up and winter break is only a couple of days away which means it's time for the annual break. Really wishing it goes by fast so I can get back to Fhear and Jessie. Hope everyone has a great Christmas and a New Years!:D_

* * *

Chapter Ten

From the moment they pulled out of Sal's to every stoplight, Fhear was forced to listen as the Brothers told him how stupid and irresponsible his actions were. There wasn't the missing tone on how the others helped aid in his escape attempt. As for the reason as to why they ran from the mansion like bandits, they wouldn't give the prince or his friends a single second to explain their actions. It was just assumed the attempt was some sort of rebellion against their king's orders.

Fhear and Hhavoc were the unlucky ones who were forced to ride in the back of the Escalade. The seating arrangements hadn't been planned out since Hhavoc just happened to be in grabbing range. Dhusk, Paige, and Ahgony were riding in the Charger with a very pissed off Nightmahre behind the wheel. While Dhusk took the full force of his father, it left the other two with Vishous driving and Tohrment continuing with his disapproval. The only male who kept silent was Z. It was his silence which was scaring the crap out of Fhear and Hhavoc considering he was sitting with them.

None of this was new to Fhear so he stared out the window. His mind couldn't help itself so he thought about Jessie. Thinking about her brought the unpleasant smell of _lessers_. Nine days and she already found the enemy. After their little talk and her attire, Fhear already saw her flirting with the line of no-return. Jessie picked a fight with a group of _lessers_ and happily admitting to defeating them. Surely the enemy wouldn't take lightly to the fact that a human was searching for one of their own.

The goal tonight was to send Jessie on her way back to Louisiana and that failed miserably thanks to the Brothers showing up. Soon V would get curious and do a search on Jessie. It would take the Brother only a matter of seconds before connecting the dots and alerting the others. Then they would be back right where Fhear was in hopes of getting rid of the obstacle set before them.

Fhear hoped they got to Jessie in time. There was so much a vampire could erase in a human's memory. If Jessie stayed in Caldwell any longer, the effects would hardly work and that was something no one could afford.

"Are you even listening?" snapped Tohr.

Not caring if the Brother was looking, all Fhear did was give a meaningless nod while continue to stare at the passing lights. Surely the conversation with his father would be one of the best. Fhear was on a short leash as it was. Now he would see how much Wrath would shorten on him. Well, he had five more months until he wouldn't be able to sneak away. Accidently thinking of the mating ceremony, Fhear felt like throwing up.

The prince flinched from the pressure closing in around his knee.

Locking his jaw and holding his breath, Fhear looked down at his knee and found a tight grip squeezing down. The hand wasn't his. It was Hhavoc who held a death grip over him.

"Shit," he mumbled.

"What was that?" Tohr demanded.

Fhear paid no attention to the Brother as he watched his friend. Just like the first time they found out about Hhavoc ability, the male's eyes were squeezed shut with his body complete stiff. His jaw was clamped shut as if he were trying to get through the pain without making any sound. Fhear could hear his friend's shallow breathing as a sign that he was really hurting inside.

Hhavoc's eyes snapped wide open.

"Nine blocks west."

The males dematerialized out of the Escalade.

Appearing in the direction Hhavoc instructed, the two stood on top of a building. They could hear the vehicle screeching far in the distance. Surely Fhear damned himself with the stunt. He would worry about his punishment later. Right now he watched as Hhavoc twisted his head around to silence the echoes in his head. The male snarled and shook his head hard until his finally relaxed. Rubbing his forehead, he pointed over to the edge. Fhear nodded and crept low as he peered over.

Down below were two trucks and a van full of _lessers._

Fhear scanned the area for any civilians. None of his kind were around or being held captive which was a huge relief for him. They must've stumbled on a small gathering. This worked for Fhear considering he and Hhavoc weren't armed to fight.

Hearing his friend join him, they both kept quiet so they could listen on the conversation down below. Six _lessers_ in particular caught the males' attentions. It was like they barely survived a beating. Fhear heard his breathing falter as he thought of Jessie saying how she won a fight. Those had to be the _lessers_ she fought.

"How could you guys lose? It was just one human," criticized a _lesser_.

"Shut up!" snarled the _lesser_ with half of his left face swollen. "That bitch was no joke. She took out the new recruits in a second. If it hadn't been for the police, I think the four of us would've ended up in body bags." The _lesser_ paused for a second to pull back his hand. He had been using his fingers to reset his nose. "All she asked about was Mr. J and attacked us when we said we didn't know anything. She claimed to be his sister."

One _lesser_ who was standing on the edge of the gathering walked up to the beaten _lessers_. He glanced over the six to take in the damage before facing the rest of the group. "We need to move the kid tonight. It's only a matter of time before this human leads the Brotherhood straight to us and we can't afford to lose the kid. We've been planning this mission for a complete year. Let's not have Mr. J's sister muck it up for us."

Fhear and Hhavoc looked at one another.

The raid they did last month wasn't the beginning. Their enemy had been planning something for an entire year. Now with the help of Jessie, they stumbled upon this realization.

"We need to get out of here," murmured Fhear.

"I agree. We just have one little problem."

"And what's that?"

Hhavoc slowly inched back until he was at a safe distance to stand. Once the male was standing tall, he turned around and stood there staring at a black space for twenty seconds until two males materialized in the spot. Fhear shook his head as he followed his friend's example. The male must've heard his father and uncle heading in their direction. No surprise that it was the two who found them. It would only take a matter of seconds for Sohrrow and Ahnger to catch their scent.

The twins' eyes were white and black from the curse inside them. As their eyes returned to their natural dark gold color, it was Ahnger who stormed right up to his son and would've started shouting when he stopped. The male tipped his head back and sniffed the air before snarling. When he glanced down at Hhavoc, his son pointed over his shoulder to where the meeting was taking place. Fhear glanced over just to make sure the four of them hadn't been noticed.

"How many?" whispered Sohrrow.

"Too many to fight," Fhear informed. "The best thing to do is retreat."

Brothers looked one another in the eye the same time the gold shifted back to their separate colors. The light and darkness must've been communicating with each other in the debate of leaving. When their eyes returned to normal, both males nodded and told the other two where to meet up.

Fhear already knew the twins wouldn't leave until he and Hhavoc left first. What he really wanted to do was stay and hear more on the meeting. If he knew what the _lessers_ were planning, maybe they could make sense of all of their findings from a month ago. He would also have a better idea of what they planned to do if Jessie came knocking on their door again. Either way, he didn't have the luxury in finding out.

Having no other choice but to dematerialize, Fhear and Hhavoc reappeared far away from where they had found the _lessers_. Awaiting them were a bunch of highly pissed off Brothers. Dhusk, Ahgony, and Paige stood next to the Charger as if to avoid the spotlight on this one. Once the twins appeared next to the them, Fhear spoke first so he could say his peace before the others went crazy on him.

"The _lessers_ have been up to something for a year without us knowing."

His opening speech shut everyone up.

"We didn't hear much. All we heard was that they're going to move Jamie so we can't find him. This kid's been keeping us in the dark for a whole year."

During a momentary pause, Fhear noticed Hhavoc staring at him. He gave his friend a head shake. When he turned his eyes over at the others, the two males gave a slight nod as a sign they understood. Their goal tonight was to get Jessie out of Caldwell to avoid this attention. Now the enemy were on high alert because of her attacking one of their own. And there was the growing terror of the Brotherhood finding the connection. Fhear didn't know if they planned on doing what they failed or use her in order to find her twin. All in all, it was bad and Jessie was growing closer to the thick of it.

Fhear hoped he got a second chance of fixing this mess. Attacking the _lessers_ and perhaps looking for more, Jessie was going to tear up Caldwell if it meant finding her brother. Even the enemy admitted on how strong she was in the fight. Jessie wasn't afraid of making enemies when it came to her twin. No matter what, she was going to fight anyone who got in her way. Fhear really needed another shot of making sure she left the city before it was too late.

Thinking of her standing on the opposing end of the Brotherhood didn't settle well with him. Imagining her going at it with one of the males scared the shit out of him. The thought of her trading blows really did a number on him. He definitely needed to get her out of the city if the thought of her getting hurt messed with his head.


	11. Chapter 11

_I had this chapter on standby so...HAPPY NEW YEARS XD!_

* * *

Chapter Eleven

Fhear slapped his laptop shut and tossed the book across the table. Shoving a giant pile of translated papers as far away as possible, the male raked his hands through his hair and moaned thanks to the giant headache raging in his head. Rubbing his hands like crazy in the black mess he called hair, Fhear glanced up to find a defeated Ahgony. His friend had given up an hour ago and decided to take a cat nap. Fhear ripped a clean sheet of paper, wadded it up into a crumbled ball, and through it at the male's head. Ahgony jerked up from contact and blinked aimlessly.

The two of them hit the study right after everyone went to sleep which wasn't long ago. Thanks to their escape act, Wrath brought hell down on the males. The only person who left the meeting unscathed was Paige. With this being her first offensive, the king simply gave her a warning not to do something stupid like that again. As for the Ahgony and the cousins, they were given the usual extra shifts for training the pretrans while adding up more hours on patrolling the streets. When all of the hours were added up, it turned out they would barely have time to sleep for the next five months.

As for the prince, he would've taken the bogus hours.

Father and son went six rounds on their extremely loud arguments with the prince being forced under constant guarding. There were even a couple of times when he wanted to come clean and tell his father why he did what he did. Fhear never had the chance to so much as utter a letter with Wrath constantly interrupting him. Now with his leash jerking the collar wrapped tight around his throat every second of his life, Fhear managed to walk out of the room with what very little freedom he had left.

Dhusk and Hhavoc headed back home to the estate like the others. The new decree Wrath would enforce was to come into play the moment the shutters opened to welcome a new night. Taking the short hours to get some work done, Fhear had intended to translate half of the giant Bulgarian book when Ahgony caught the male in the hallway. Turned out his friend couldn't sleep and was more than happy to offer his assistance. They assumed the work would go by a whole lot faster.

One sleep deprived prince and sleeping Brother proved this method wrong.

Little sticky notes sticking out of the book indicated the two barely made a breakthrough. The main difficulty in translating the book was that the males didn't know which keys to type in for Google Translate. Unlike the French book which the words were readable, the Bulgarian alphabet was way more complicated. It took Fhear many unneeded minutes to go through his alphabet index he created just to get one word made out.

"What time is it?" yawned Ahgony.

Fhear patted the paper littered table in search of his phone. A paper the size of a mini-mountain revealed the missing device. Brushing his finger across the screen, the phone lit up the same time the shutters open.

"Eight," Fhear answered as he dropped his phone back on the messy table.

"Well, alright then." Ahgony stood from his chair, pausing so he could stretch out his back. "I'm going to grab something to eat. You might want to get some sleep."

Fhear gave his friend a low grunt while rubbing his tired eyes. A few mumbled words made it past his lips which was enough for his friend to get up from their clustered table and head for First Meal. Once Fhear heard Ahgony close the door behind him, he leaned back in his chair and sighed.

He was beginning to question why he was doing this. Sure, having the angel freaking out about two books perked his interest. But they were book on mythical legends from two different country. Unlike Sam who was once a demigod, La Chanson de Lily and the Bulgarian book was just a bunch of stories passed down through generations. None of it sounded remotely real so Fhear was doubting himself on this little research project.

The door squeaked open. Thinking Ahgony was back to see what the prince wanted to bring him, Fhear was prepared to tell his friend he would join the others later when a large sigh came from him.

Standing next to Ahgony was Claudya.

"Look who's here."

Claudya greeted Fhear with a soft voice. The prince noticed how the female wasn't wearing her usual dresses. They had been big so it would've been difficult for her to travel. She wore a light pink top with red cardigan covering it, a white high-low skirt hanging over her knees, and white sandals wrapped around her feet. With this being the first time Claudya dressed casual, it felt a bit more refreshing that she was more than the typical _princep_ female.

"How can I help you?" asked Fhear.

"I only came for a visit," she answered. Fhear glanced over at Ahgony who shrugged his shoulders. "I am here on my own," Claudya said as if understanding what they were thinking. "My father knows of my whereabouts and does not mind."

"And your brother?"

"He is with my father."

Well, this was definitely a first. Whenever he and the female were together, there was always a chaperone of some sort with her. Cohnrad and his father must've gotten so cozy together that the male could trust his daughter to be alone in the mansion with the Brotherhood. Thinking about the males becoming buddies was a cruel reminder of what fate awaited Fhear.

Whatever plans Fhear would've thought of later would have to be put aside. Claudya went out of her way for this visit so he would be a gentleman and be courteous.

Getting up from his seat so he could join the two, Fhear was just about to ask Claudya if she wanted to join him for First Meal when he noticed the female was staring past him. He glanced over his shoulder only to see the messy table behind him. When he looked back at Claudya, she took in a deep breath as if to gain her confidence and calmly walked past the male. She stopped right in front of the table and picked up the heavy book. Flipping through the pages until reaching the last page, Claudya went back to the first page which contained the title of the book.

"You know Bulgarian?" she asked.

Since it sounded like a public question, both Fhear and Ahgony shook their heads. Claudya gave them a nod and went back to thumbing through the pages. "My father does business here and overseas," the female explained. "He encouraged Vyktor and I to learn different languages. Of course, my brother had to learn considering he would be taking over when the time was right. I chose to study Bulgarian because the language is beautiful."

"So you can read it?"

Fhear eyed his friend. Exhausted a second ago, Ahgony was now cheery. His eagerness made Claudya blush as she nodded once more. For a second, Fhear wondered if he should give the two the room. The male had figured out from day one that Ahgony liked Claudya. There had been times he insisted his friend accompany him instead of the Brothers when he met the female. Considering he spent almost the same amount of time Fhear had with her, it made sense for the male to develop feeling for her.

Tucking Ahgony's secret away, it was Fhear's turn to ask a question. "A friend of ours had some interest in this book," he said. "Is there anything of importance in there or is it just a jumble of myths?"

Claudya's face brightened from the request so she went through the book again. Her eyes darted from page to page as her mind translated words in seconds. Fhear watched as she skipped chunks of pages and went back a couple of times as if using the previous words for references. When she reached the back of the cover, she tilted her head as if confused and placed the book on the table.

"Well, you're right about it being a collection. It's a collection of the Slavic myths. Bulgaria, Macedonia, and Serbia share myths that are relatively close. Some are the same names while others are different but still refer to the same character." Claudya tapped the book's cover. "This one mostly talks about the gods and demons. Does that mean anything to you?"

All Claudya had to say was gods and Fhear had an idea as to why Lassiter was acting so weird.

"Hey, Claudya? Are up for a bit of family drama?" he asked her.

Taking the book and telling Ahgony to escort Claudya to the dining room, Fhear dashed back to his room to recover La Chanson de Lily. With both books in hand, the male jogged down the stairs and across the foyer before stopping in front of the doors.

All of the Brothers and their families who lived in the mansion were present. Those who lived on the estate were on their way over since the whole family came over for nights. Fhear made sure to hide the books under his shirt before entering the room. Sam wasn't here and so wasn't Lassiter which meant Fhear would have to wait for the two to arrive.

Because it was expect of the prince to be with his betrothed, Fhear joined Claudya who kept close to Ahgony. She was talking with Nalla, Lydiah, and Dhanika who all laughed as if a joke was said. Fhear saw how Claudya's hand brushed Ahgony's and the male giving her a reassuring squeeze.

Now this explained their awkward meetings.

Ahgony liked Claudya and Claudya like Ahgony.

The sound of feet slapping against marble floor informed everyone that three tornados were about to burst right in. Four seconds later, the triplets came barreling into the dining room. Out of everyone who lived on the estate, Fhear made sure to keep clear of the triplets because whoever got in the middle of their games usually got hurt. His point was sadly proven when a very pissed Hhavoc marched in and managed to catch Yuri by the back of his shirt. It was Dhusk who kept his cousin from beating the kid to death.

As the others began to join in, Fhear zeroed in on Sam. And sure enough, Lassiter came strutting in at the end like nothing was amiss. Nothing happened so Fhear assumed the angel kept the encounter to himself. Well, it was time to shake the boat.

Fhear gave everyone time to take their seats. The books were still hidden on him so he fidgeted in his chair. Ahgony sat to his left with Claudya to his right. His friend cleared his throat of his way of asking when the bomb would fall. Fhear patted his friend on the shoulder before standing up and removing the books. Everyone looked over at the prince since he was the only one standing. Calling Lassiter out, Fhear waited for the angel to look in his direction before throwing the books across the table. They clattered on Lassiter's plate of food.

"Mind explaining?" he said out loud.

Lassiter took one look at the books before saying, "I have no clue what you're talking about?"

"Fine." Fhear turned his attention to the oldest Brother in the room. "Sam, do you think you can tell us why Lassiter was scared shitless over a French and Bulgarian book? The only thing they have in common are gods if you're wondering."

Not appreciating his prince singling him out, Sam stood up as well like he was about to tell Fhear something when those brown eyes locked on the books. His eyes widened as if shocked at the books laying in front of Lassiter.

"Lassiter," growled the male, "what is he talking about?"

Out of everyone in the room, Sam was the only person who the angel feared on getting on his bad side. Even when he became a vampire, Lassiter continued to stay on his best behavior. Watching how he averted his eyes away from Sam was enough to warn the other that something was definitely wrong.

"Lassiter!"

The angel jumped up and shoved the books away from him. "What do you fucking think?" Lassiter shouted back. "I felt them. I they are fucking here!"

When there was silence between the two, Fhear casted a look at Claudya. This probably wasn't the family drama she had been expecting because her hands were clasped together to prevent them from shaking. She glanced up and met Fhear's gaze. The male gaze her a smile as a sign that everyone was fine. His smile worked because she relaxed a bit.

"Is this god related?" someone asked.

Sam continued to glare at Lassiter who continued to keep his eyes low. Because the angel went tight lip again, Sam shouted his name to gain his attention. Lassiter actually flinched like a child who was in trouble.

"It's not the gods," Lassiter admitted. "It's their pets."

Now it was Sam's turn to go silent. Rubbing his palm against his forehead, the male sat back down with a loud thud. "La Chanson de Lily. Are you telling me we have Beauvilliers in Caldwell?"

Fhear felt his entire body go stiff and he wasn't the only on to react. He could hear Ahgony chocking behind him. Surely Dhusk and Hhavoc dropped whatever they were doing

Beauvillier was the name of Jessie's mother's family.

"I only felt one," answered the angel.

"Fine. We have one of Týr's creations to deal with. Who is the other?"

Lassiter swallowed. His voice shook as if afraid to speak when his said, "Morana."

Red seals flared from Sam's fist when he smashed it into the table. "Morana?" roared the male. "One of hers is here and you don't tell me? What the fuck were you thinking?"

"I had to be sure," Lassiter answered back like he was in an interrogation. "What point is it to worry all of you if I wasn't sure?"

"All right!"

The commotion between the two paused when Wrath shouted. Every head turned to the end of the table where the king was standing. Even though Lassiter was looking in Wrath's direction, the angel continued to keep his gaze low. As for Sam, he continued to glare as if he could burn something with is sharp glare.

"Lassiter," Wrath called out, "I think you're in deep shit as it is so stop while you're ahead. Sam." The male made a grunt to let the king know he was listening. "Why don't you explain to us what Lassiter's talking about."

Figuring his turn was done, Fhear took his seat. Ahgony released a heavy sigh like he just watched a car wreck happen in front of him.

"Týr," spoke Sam, "is a Germanic god. The bastard's famous for getting his hand bit off by Fenrir. Too bad that part of the legend isn't true. Anyways, he's one of the gods the Franks once worshipped. It was during the third century when a village offered the leader's son as tribute. Although the son did as was expected of him, his twin brother thought different. So before his young brother could be sacrificed, the older brother switched places. The sacrifice would've gone through if Týr hadn't rejected the offering."

Sam paused and held up his hand. The only person who knew what he wanted was Lassiter because he picked up La Chanson de Lily and tossed it over for Sam to catch. With the book in hand, the male stared down at it.

"Nithard and Notker were the twins who invented the twin mythology in Europe. Because of Týr's damn curiosity, he gifted the brothers the power to take another's pain. From an injury to death, one could offer themselves to take the place of the other. This is one of the many examples on how myths came to be. A bunch of gods with too much time on their hands who decide to experiment on humans who worship them. This book," Sam pointed to La Chanson de Lily," is the biography of the gift Týr gave to Nithard and Notker. Týr's mark, a birthmark in the shape of a lily, shows the world the brothers' descendants are his. Now the bloodlines go by the name Beauvillier."

"Alright then," said Wrath. "Must we worry about this Beauvillier?"

Fhear watched as Sam turned his hard gaze over at Lassiter. "Most likely not. The only harm the line can do is swap pain. Lassiter?" The angel sat straight up when his name was called. "Morana. Is hers young or close to age?"

"Really close," mumbled the angel.

"Fuck."

"And this other problem?" asked Wrath.

"Morana. The meanest bitch I've ever met. She's a Slavic goddess and a powerful one at that. Jarilo, her opposite, pissed her off more than usual one day and she took it personally. There was a village who worshipped her so she took her wrath on them. She didn't give them one would consider a gift but a curse. The women of this village were the ones who created the demon myth ala. Monsters who brought hail storms to destroy crops and possibly death to those who approached them. Sometimes they would even destroy villages. Because of what Morana did, another god, Perun, took it upon himself to create the aloviti. Men gifted with the power to kill the ale. Now that battle has gone on for so long I thought they killed each other off. Guess not."

The room was silent once Sam was done. As for Fhear, his eyes shifted over to Hhavoc. Perhaps it wasn't just Lassiter who knew about this ala in town. The male had told him and the others the earth had been getting louder lately. Whatever was going on had to what Sam meant by close to age. Now they just needed Sam to tell them if this ala was a danger to them.

"What do you mean 'of age'?" Wrath asked out loud.

Guess Fhear was going to get his answer.

"An ala isn't born with the ability to create hail. She must wait until her twenty-fourth birthday to gain it. Until then, the only defense she has is to make those who're near her feel as if they're dying. This only happens if she feels threaten. But the feeling is real. Stay near her too long and you will die. If what Lassiter's saying is true, this ala probably only has a few months before her birthday."

"So you're saying there's a possibility of a demon being in Caldwell?"

"A human with strange abilities," corrected Sam. "Demons don't exist. They're just people who gods gifted. It was them who created the myths. But to answer your question, that's a high possibility. And since I was wrong in thinking they were dead, I can only assume the aloviti are alive as well. It's these two we should worry about."

Once it sounded like Sam was done with his explanation, Fhear felt himself panicking inside. So Lassiter had a right to act the way he did. And because of him, he ruined the angel's chances of investigating the feeling he had.

There was definitely a Beauvillier in the city and she was tearing it up looking for her twin. Now they had to worry about some ancient feud between two humans gifted by gods from waging a battle on their streets.

Fhear knew he could take care of one of their problems. The only trouble he would have was trying to get it done without his father and the Brotherhood breathing down his neck. As for the other one, Sam could have dibs on that. Fhear just needed to think of a way in getting Jessie out of Caldwell now that she was one step closer on meeting the Black Dagger Brotherhood.


	12. Chapter 12

_YAY! Winter break is over! That means more of Jessie and Fhear. And to start off this semester, double update XD_

* * *

Chapter Twelve

Jessie leaned against the side of a building, hiding in the shadows of the alley. Her eyes stayed focus on the building across the street. Two hours ago, she watched as more white haired bastards entered. There were too many of them so she stayed outside in hopes of one leaving. Tonight she wore a black tube top and dark blue jeans. Strapped to her feet were black ankle boots, giving her extra height. Jessie managed to tie her hair in a bun and secured it with her hat. Her attire was all she needed to move around freely for she was getting answers tonight.

Tonight she was beating information out of the bastards.

While she'd been in the very stiff bed of her one-night motel room, she received a call from Grams to see if she was okay. The last time Grams called her was three days ago. It was like she needed to hear her granddaughter to know she was alive. So far she'd yet to receive a call from her father which was a huge relief. Having a few Beauvilliers calling her was something she could deal with. Her dad calling would ruin everything.

Remembering her telling Grams that she had yet to find her twin didn't sit well. For days she'd been searching for Jamie and now she had to start pounding a bunch of assholes who looked like they were in a gang. Then there was the fun fact that her strange friend named Fhear wanted her out of town. He was a nice guy but she could read between the lines. Something strange was going on in Caldwell and he wanted her gone before she found herself in deep shit.

Jessie grinned to herself. From the day she was born to now, she was nothing but trouble. It was a simple fact she accepted long ago. The acceptation only made her excitement for tonight spike up. She was really looking forward to this fight.

Apparently someone higher up in the universe heard her prayer because the side door to the building open. All twenty white heads stepped outside. Some began to head to the street for their parked cars. Jessie had some time earlier so she checked out the rides. They were basic rides with the same numbers and letters on their license plates in different orders. She could already tell they were fakes so she didn't bother in writing them down. For all she knew, they could switch them out tomorrow.

Identical black cars pulled out onto the street and drove off. Five who didn't arrive in a ride headed down the sidewalk in a group. If Jessie had her way, she would've followed them and jumped their asses. Only thing keeping her still was the fact that they were headed to a more public area. There was no way she wanted the cops to interrupt her questions. As for those who still lingered by the door, there was a total of seven. Jessie expected them to head back inside.

A grin appeared on her lips when they ventured further down the alley.

Pushing herself from the wall, Jessie inhaled and exhaled. Either these guys had info on her twin or the ones who drove off did. To Jessie, it was a flip of the coin. But if this group had zip, she was going to enjoy this fight.

* * *

"Hope that wasn't too much for you."

"It was okay."

Fhear released the breath he had been holding ever since the little family meeting. The news of humans with gifts given to them by gods roaming their streets would put anyone in a mental hospital. At least they had someone who had fair knowledge on how to deal with this situation. Fhear was definitely going to leave Sam in finding the ala. As for Jessie, the prince needed to work fast before anyone connected the dots.

First Meal ended early on a sour note so the others were getting ready to hit the streets. Taking this moment to avoid his new security, Fhear guided Claudya to the foyer where no one could bother them. Besides the two, those occupying them were Ahgony and Hhavoc. Dhusk was with his father, preparing for his rotation. Ahgony was with them simply because he liked Claudya even though he had yet to admit it. As for Hhavoc, Fhear was keeping his friend close.

The male was listening for Jessie.

"I think it would be best if I head home."

"Yeah. I think that might be a good idea. Yo, Ahgony?" The male's head snapped over in Fhear's direction. "Make sure Claudya gets home safely."

Ahgony nodded and held his hand for Claudya to take. The female blushed for a second before wrapping her fingers around his. When the two dematerialized, Fhear messed with hair and started pacing. The first thing he needed right now was to find Jessie's location. If Hhavoc managed to finder her in time, maybe he would have a chance of snatching his father's weapons in case he ran into any trouble.

"Fhear!"

The prince groaned and ran his hand over his face when he heard Rhage call him. If he was to spend his time with the male the entire night, the idea of gouging his eyes out with a pair of scissors sounded appealing.

Hhavoc's body jolted straight.

"We need to go. Now."

Fhear saw that Rhage wasn't the only Brother heading in their direction. "I need to get some weapons," he hissed while watching Phury making his way over. The tight hand clamping on his arm told him something was up.

"Now."

Glancing back at the two Brothers, Fhear muttered a curse to himself. His father already took most of his freedom. He might as well throw in the last bit into the bowl if his friend was telling him they needed to bail right away.

The Brothers must've sensed them getting ready to beat it because their friendly smiles turned dark. The last thing Fhear saw was Rhage and Phury running straight at them. When Hhavoc whispered Jessie's location, Fhear closed his eyes and dematerialized.

Right as the two materialized at the entrance of an alley, they stood there gaping at what was happening in front of them.

A _lesser_ threw a punch right at Jessie. Wearing heels, Jessie spun around on the pumps, causing the _lesser_ to fall to the ground. Before the enemy could fall to the ground, Jessie brought up her knee and made contact with his nose. Another _lesser_ came at her from behind but was stopped short when Jessie did a back-kick and made contact right in his stomach.

Jessie brought up her fists in time to use her left arm to block a _lesser_ from doing a wide swing. She jumped back and sucked in her stomach to avoid a knife making contact with her flesh. Landing on her feet, she pivoted around and did a back fist only to land back in position and throw another solid punch at her opponent.

One _lesser_ who was already on the ground found his way back to his feet and drew a knife. With his back towards the males, the enemy didn't know that Jessie was about to get reinforcements.

Fhear didn't wait for Hhavoc to guard his back. Right when the _lesser_ went at Jessie, the prince tackled him back to the ground. Ripping the knife from the enemy, Fhear got up and flipped the _lesser_ around to slash out his throat. Black blood squirted all over his face. Wiping his eyes clean, Fhear looked up in time to see Hhavoc snap another _lesser's_ neck. The two didn't have any weapons but they knew how to fight barehanded.

Looking at those who remained, Fhear counted five more _lessers_ to be taken care of.

Make that four because Jessie swayed on her feet to avoid a _lesser_ who was coming at her with a led pipe. The moment the bastard swung and missed, Jessie stomped on the pipe where it got caught in the arc of her boots. Using the pipe as guidance, the _lesser_ took a kick to the nose. The strength of Jessie's kick was so strong that it broke the _lesser's_ nose like a twig.

Jessie hopped over the _lesser's_ body and strutted right up to the remaining three. Fhear noticed how the three had much whiter hair which was a clear sign they were older. They probably wanted the younger ones to fight first to see what their opponent was like. From the way how they kept their eyes on Jessie, it was clear they were thinking of her as an actual opponent.

The _lesser_ who was closest to Jessie decided to be the first to attack. Throwing a lightning fast punch, he would've made contact if it hadn't been for Jessie who ducked and tackled the _lesser_. With her arms wrapped tight around his waist, Jessie charged forward and nearly tossed the _lesser_ over her shoulder before slamming him into a wall.

With the distraction, both Fhear and Hhavoc materialized in front of the remaining two _lessers_. The males moved fast by circling their arms around the _lessers'_ necks and giving them a quick twist. Tossing the limp bodies to the ground, Fhear was prepared to finish the one Jessie was fighting only to stop in his track.

Jessie took a step back from the _lesser_ with his arm in her hold. Taking in a deep breath, she spun around and flung the _lesser_ clean over her body. The _lesser_ gagged for air from the solid contact on his back. Before the enemy could move, Jessie twisted the _lesser's_ arm and tossed him over onto his stomach. She placed the heel of her left boot on the back of his skull and began to twist the arm she possessed.

"Shit."

Fhear glanced over at Hhavoc who was jogging back to the alley's entrance. Turning around to see what had his friend worrying, Fhear gulped when he saw three Brothers with Mehrcy in the lead. None of them made a sound so Jessie didn't know of the audience behind her. Hhavoc managed to keep the group from exposing themselves because they backed further into the shadows. The male rejoined Fhear right as Jessie removed a photo from her back pocket.

"Where's my brother?" she demanded.

"Fuck you, bitch!"

Jessie jerked the twisted arm. "Oops," snickered Jessie with the _lesser_ writhing in pain, "my hand has a tendency to move on its own. Who knows? I might accidently break your arm." Jessie continued to twist very slowly.

"Okay, okay! All I heard was that they moved him further in town. I don't know his exact location, I swear!"

As if his answer didn't settle well with her, Jessie sighed and placed her picture back in her pocket.

She then broke the _lesser's_ arm.

Right as he started howling in pain, Jessie grabbed a fistful of his shirt and jerked him up before slamming his face into the concrete. The _lesser_ didn't make a sound after.

Wiping her hands and spinning around, Jessie stared at Fhear before smiling. "Bonjour," she greeted. "Nice night to go for a midnight stroll."

"I don't think so." Fhear couldn't help but glance over at Hhavoc. The male nodded for him to keep talking. "I see you've been hard at work."

"Yeah, well, not as much. These bastards didn't have much to go on. God, they fucking stink!" Jessie wiped her palms on her jeans. "This is so fucked up. I mean, these guys bleed black. What are they taking?"

"Whatever they're using, I think it's best if you backed off."

"Why? You going to kill me, too?"

The males looked at the bodies they put down. Surely Jessie noticed them as well. What was strange was that she wasn't freaking out. She just glanced at the bodies and went back to wiping off black blood from her knuckles.

Jessie removed her cap and undid her hair. As waved of brown and blue fell over her shoulders, she tucked the cap in her waistband and continued to clean herself up. "I'll just let you know I'm a little hard to kill." To prove her point, she pointed at the _lesser_ behind her. "And I've been meaning to ask. Why do you want me to stop looking for my brother?"

Time to answer the question. Fhear just really wished the Brothers weren't around to listen. "Like I said, he's part of the wrong group," was all he could tell her.

"I already assumed it was gang related and I don't care. I'm here for my brother. Now you can either help me find him or get out of my way."

"I think you're the one who owes us," snapped Hhavoc.

"Please, I've dealt with bigger fish."

Wiping her hands one last time, Jessie placed her cap back on her head and walked straight to the males. She paused right in front of Fhear. The prince stared down at her in hopes she might reconsider. Jessie just smirked and straightened his shirt before pushing past him. Fhear and Hhavoc watched as Jessie exited down the alley and disappeared on the street. The Brothers must've dematerialized before she headed in their direction because they reappeared right next to Fhear and Hhavoc.

Those with Mehrcy was Tohrment, Rhage, and Phury. One would think they would be furious with their prince. Instead, the males took in the scene before them. Rhage even whistled as if he was impressed.

This was the first time Fhear saw Jessie fight. She was up against seven _lessers_ without a weapon or backup and she still held her own. If he and Hhavoc hadn't interfered, he had the feeling she could've won with her own strength. Watching her go up against the enemy who outnumbered her only deepened his worry of her ever facing off against the Brotherhood. And from the looks of it, it would be sooner than later.

* * *

Leaving the alley and going around until she found herself back where Fhear and his posse was, Jessie stayed up against the wall so no one would see them.

The giants were the same ones she saw last night.

Apparently this strange gang of white heads had something to do with Fhear and his buddies. It was pretty obvious on how trained these guys were considering they were checking their surrounding as if the enemy was about to pop out. Jessie also got a good look at their accessories. Guns poked out of their jackets along with what looked like daggers. The one with crazy long black hair had a sword tied to his waist.

"Well, at least we have an idea on where the kid is," said the blondie.

"So does that chick," commented the one who reminded Jessie of Chilly Pepper. "Isn't she the one from Sal's?"

"I remember her. She's the same human," the normal looking one answered.

The one with the sword stepped up to Fhear and Snow Globe. "We are heading back to the mansion and the two of you will explain on who that human is and how she's tied with the _lessers_."

So the white heads were called _lessers_. Well, now she had the name of the enemy.

As for Fhear and his buddies, Jessie could hear her heart pumping like crazy. She'd yet to calm down from the fight and this new adrenaline had her wanting to find another fight. Forget about her little witch-hunt against the _lessers_. This Fhear guy knew a whole lot more than he was letting on and it became obvious by how many times he told her to leave the city.

Jessie remembered the ride the others showed up in last night. Her memory was so spot on that she was able to recall the license plates. These guys were also early risers by her standers considering she went to Sal's for her late meal. Now all Jessie had to do was keep an eye out for the black Escalade and that would be her ticket.

Fhear and whoever the others would lead Jessie straight to Jamie.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

It didn't take long for Vishous to look up Jessie. In fact, the Brother found her the same time he noticed someone messed with his tech. Because they wanted all four culprits together, Dhusk had been called back from the field and was lined up right next to Fhear, Ahgony, and Hhavoc. At least the crowd was a small one tonight which meant the only Brothers around to kill the four was V, Mehrcy, Tohr, Rhage, Phury, and Sam. And let's not forget Fhear's father who heard about the event.

This was the second night Fhear let Jessie slip through his fingers. True, he had been caught off guard the other night with her smelling like a _lesser_. Then there was the fun fact that the Brothers managed to find him before he could do anything. Now there was the fight that had taken only an hour ago. Fhear was positive Jessie was crawling around further in Caldwell thanks to the small info the _lesser_ gave her. She wasn't the only one in the city who took up the lead. The Brothers heard about it and told the others to do the same thing. It was only Sam who had been called along with Dhusk because V found something very interesting in Jessie's file.

"So when were you going to tell us you knew a Beauvillier?" Sam finally asked.

Fhear's friends all pointed their looks at him. Since he was sitting down, Fhear dropped his head back over the chair and sighed. "Just like Lassiter, I was hoping to take care of the situation. But believe me when I say I didn't know about this whole god-giving-gift bullshit. All I knew was that she was some girl looking for her twin. And by the way, her last name is du Bois if you hadn't read it."

The printer finished its job and V collected the papers. V whistled the same way Rhage did when they saw the mess Jessie left behind. Taking a stapler to staple each copies, the male tossed them over to the others. Tohr shared his copy with Wrath since he was the king's eyes.

"This girl is the real deal." From the way how the male said it, it was almost like he respected her. "Check this out. Miss du Bois has over twenty arrest for assault. All of the charges were either dropped or weren't even brought up. And check this out." V flipped over a sheet to show the others. "She even posed for her mug shot."

Sure enough, there was Jessie holding her numbers with a smile and a thumbs up.

Rhage burst out laughing like he read something funny. "Dudes, this chick even has her own code. NOPD calls her the Pit-bull."

"It says here the ones she assaulted were too afraid to press charges," mentioned Mehrcy. "Guess that name of hers lives up to the reputation. Each report states that the victims were heavily beaten that some were taken to the hospital. It's crazy how no one wanted to press charges against her. Damn, and this all happened before she was even eighteen. How can the police let a person like her go without any punishment? And how many fights can a human get into before being kicked out of school?"

"Apparently a lot because she stayed in each school until she graduated." V continued to flip through the papers. "Yeah, it says here the people she assaulted had something to do with her twin. There are also some mentions of other Beauvilliers joining in on the fights but not as bad as her."

"Okay. Now we know we have one Beauvillier working for the enemy and his older sister who's tearing the city to pieces looking for him. Care to explain what your plan was?"

Fhear restrained himself form flipping Sam off. "I was hoping to convince her to leave Caldwell. It's not like I could wipe her mind. She's already been here too long for that to work. Guess that plan's out the window consider what she's willing to do to find her brother."

Even though the Brothers showed up late to the party, they got a hint of what damage Jessie could duel out. The description of the fight from Fhear and Hhavoc could do little justice. Too bad there weren't any cameras in the area for them to go through. As for the other night, V had no success of finding the fight Jessie walked out of.

Sam sat straight up in his chair. Everyone noticed how dark his eyes turned. The male was staring at a page close to the end. Rubbing his eyes, he tossed the papers on the table and sighed. Because the stack slid close to where the four were sitting, Fhear nodded for Ahgony to retrieve the stack. The male did just that and handed it over to the prince. He wasn't the only one flipping to the back pages. Fhear could hear the others doing the same thing.

It was the same medical page of Jessie and Jamie. Fhear remembered skipping over the part about the twins' mother and how she died. Surely that was what had Sam looking so grim. Watching the Brother's reaction was all it took for Fhear to read it.

He and the others who read the page looked away.

"Alright," called Wrath. "Sam, do you think we can wait on your hunt for the ala?"

"I think so." Sam pressed his palms hard against his eyes. "If the ala has been in Caldwell for this long, I think it can wait a few more days without us interfering. I think finding Miss du Bois should be our top priority. Fhear, you have any idea where she might be?"

Since it was a direct question, there was no way he couldn't answer. "The night's still young. She might still be looking for Jamie. If things go as they usually do, she'll turn up at Sal's before turning in for the night. That's all I know."

"V."

Vishous nodded to his king. "I'll let iAm know to look out for her. Let's just get to her before the _lessers_ do."

"And speaking of _lessers_." Mehrcy crossed his arms and faced the four. From the way he stared at the males, Fhear and the others got the feeling as to what the Brother was about to ask. "How exactly did you know about this fight?"

Hhavoc was sitting next to Fhear so he could feel his friend tense. He didn't know why it was so difficult for the male to confess about his ability. It would make the explanation a whole lot easier.

The way how Hhavoc was stiff was enough to tell the others not to spill the beans. Fhear really hoped his friend knew what he was doing. Even though they went out and had a small workout, he could see that Hhavoc was already tired. The ability as taking a bigger toll on him and it was showing.

"Does it matter?" spoke Fhear. The prince stood up and waved at the stack of papers. "We have a better idea on where Jamie is thanks to his sister. I know she's a risk and needs to be dealt with as soon as possible. So how about we get her out of our city and finer her brother before the enemy decides to move him again, true?"

Mehrcy had yet to raise his gaze from the four. At least the gaze was pointed more at Fhear than the others. He could deal with the male if he had to. Right now, what he said was true. They needed to stop Jessie and find Jamie.

"V, Sam, you two be on ready for when Miss du Bois shows up at iAm's place," instructed Wrath. "Mehrcy, Tohr, you guys can head back out." Wrath didn't need to tell Rhage and Phury their job.

As if getting the hint, everyone stood up and left the room, leaving Fhear with his father. Wrath held out his hand and wrapped his fingers around the chair next to him. Taking a seat and removing his shades, the male pinched his eyes.

"Everything I do, you fight me on."

"Yeah, well, that happens when you have a micromanaging father."

This time Wrath didn't put his shades back on. Opening his eyes, the king looked in the direction his son's voice was coming from. "You went up against _lessers_ unarmed. Hhavoc was with you but the two of you went to battle without any help. How exactly is that smart thinking on your end?"

"I've already told you. I know how to fight. I could might even be better if you allowed me to train again."

Wrath shook his head and placed his shades over his eyes. "I'm going to let this one slide. But just to let you know, whoever's watching you already has my permission to use any means necessary to keep you safe. This was your last fight."

Fhear didn't have the stomach to watch his father leave. All he could do was stare at the floor beneath him.

He was just trying to do something right and this was what he got. The prince knew that he was risking his last shred of freedom doing this. Now that it was taken away, it felt a whole lot different than he expected. Fhear never expected to feel trapped in a cage and knowing that this time he was never getting out again.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

Something must've tipped Jessie off because iAm sadly reported that she didn't show up. It was interesting in seeing the Brotherhoods' reactions when they got the news. Some were having too much of a good time going over Jessie's old arrests while the rest saw her as a potential enemy. As for Fhear's latest action, no one was about to admit it out loud but they respected his choice.

Vishous told iAm to call any of them if Jessie decided to pop in, even if it was right before closing. When the minute passed to morning, Wrath decided it would be best if it was V and Butch who took care of her. V was more skilled at wiping human memories and Butch would be the one to make sure she left Caldwell. However, after Fhear told the Brothers that Jessie had been in the city for a long period of time, there was heavy doubt in the mansion of the plan working. No one dared to ask if wiping the human's memories failed.

Morning slowly turned to night with the usual routine. First Meal began just as soon as Mehrcy's family showed up. Tonight Claudya didn't pay a visit so it was nice and quiet. Fhear was still furious over his father's rules and thankfully kept it to himself. There would be no routinely conversation with his friends since all three of them were on rotation tonight. Even though the Brotherhood now knew what was in the city, the knowledge didn't satisfy the prince so he headed straight to the study when First Meal ended.

Fhear was so keen on rereading and understanding La Chanson de Lily that he didn't notice Tohrment when the male answered his phone. Both of the males were keeping to themselves in the study so it was pretty quiet. When the male took the call, Fhear completely ignored him.

If only he had been listening, he would've known V and Butch were heading to Sal's.

* * *

The Brothers were highly pissed when they left iAm's place. They just got the call and headed straight to the restaurant only to have iAm tell them they missed Jessie. iAm said he did his best to keep her occupied until they arrived. Vishous basically went light speed to get to the restaurant. It surprised the two that the human showed at the restaurant so early. Night had fallen only three hours ago which was way early for her usual schedule.

When they got back in the Escalade, Butch called back Tohr to let him and the others at the mansion know that they just missed the human. V and Butch were still on patrol tonight so they scanned the streets in hopes of finding some _lessers_. Mehrcy and his team were taking point north of the city, Victoria's group were patrolling the west, Sohrrow and his followers were on the east side, and Ahnger was scouting the south with his team. All four were using their cursed abilities to sniff the city while those who weren't part of their teams were patrolling their own way. The two males were on their own so the best they could do was drive around.

As V drove up and down the streets, Butch was still pouring over Jessie's old reports. There would be times when he muttered on some things and just shake his head on the other. "Damn," he said for the hundredth time. "I know family is important to some people, but this is just taking it too far. Where the hell is this girl's father?"

"Page six," sighed V.

"Navy, huh? One would think he would teach his daughter discipline." Butch tossed the papers in the back. "It makes me wonder how much trouble she's caused here before finding out about her brother. If this Jamie kid really knew his sister was here, I would think he would do everything in his power to get her out of here."

"Even though I hardly know the chick, I highly think that would work."

Both males nodded in agreement.

Stopping at a light, V reached up to adjust the mirror when the male's arm stiffened. Butch noticed his friend and cocked an eyebrow. His answer was V gesturing behind them. Getting the message, Butch reached up for the visor in front of him and angled the mirror around until he was looking at the cars behind him.

V tapped his finger twice on the mirror to signal Butch of the second car behind them. Hiding behind a red Mustang was a gray Volkswagen Jetta. "Thank car's been following us," V whispered.

To prove his point, the male took a right turn and the Volkswagen followed. V took random turns with the car tailing them every way. By the time they were stopped by a light, Butch was already on the phone with Phury. The male and his twin were in the area which worked in their favor. For all they knew, a bunch of _lessers_ could be following them. It would be good to have the males if that was the scenario.

Once the light changed, the male led their tail down the street into a much less populated area. The two were slightly surprised when the car began to pull back from the lack of cover. Apparently the driver wasn't as stupid as to ride up on their ass. Either way, they were made and four males were about to put the hurt on them.

Butch's phone dinged and he read that Phury was pulling up the street. Now that they had the others behind the Volkswagen, V slammed on the brakes. A high pitch screech came from the little car's brakes as it came to a shuddering halt behind the Escalade. Behind the car was the Range Rover, blocking off any means of escape. There weren't any cars and no bystanders which meant the Brothers had the street all to themselves.

The Rover's lights were one so it was easy to see one body in the Volkswagen. V and Butch got out of the Escalade with their hands on their guns while Phury and Z stepped out of the Rover. Zsadist circled around the right side of the car as Phury approached the driver's window. The male tapped on the window for the person to roll it down.

Phury cursed when the window rolled down.

"Is there a problem, officer?"

Jessie removed her sunglasses and gave the male a devilish smile.

* * *

The night had gone off without a hitch. For Jessie, the plan had to make an appearance at Sal's and wait for the giants to appear. Arriving at the restaurant early would've alerted them since she always showed up late. All in all, her arrival worked in her favor because she saw the Escalade pull up in the front.

A part of Jessie was hoping she wouldn't get called out. Before she declared the hunt over early this morning, Jessie's body finally registered the beating she took. Sure, she put more pain on the so called _lessers_ and she was proud of that. Her only downfall was that the bastards she caught didn't have anything on her brother.

Jessie knew what Chilly Pepper lookalike would see when she took over the sunglasses. She'd been cocky the other night and took one to the face so waking up in the afternoon hadn't been a pretty one. Wild brown and blue hair brushed behind her ears, Jessie proudly showed off her really swollen left eye. She could still see which was a bonus. There was just the nasty purple and black around her heavy eyelid.

"Um…you…uh?"

"You are a cop, right?" she teased.

When the guy shook his head, Jessie had too much fun when she opened her door and smacked it in his chest. She pushed a bit harder to move him out of the way as she stepped out. Jessie wasn't the one to hide the wounds of battle so she kicked the door close and leaned against it with her arms folded over her chest. Tonight she was wearing jean short-shorts with a dark blue spaghetti tank top and leather sandals. Just like her other shoes, the sandals gave her the additional height she loved so much. It made it easier for her to fight taller opponents.

Bruises were displayed on her body. The last time someone actually put her in pain had been in the seventh grade and these fuckers didn't have anything on the hellion. All of these were because of her cockiness and her growing anger for turning up empty.

"I remember you guys." Jessie pointed at all four giants. "You guys roll with Fhear. Don't know your names but pretty sure they're just as weird as Fhear. So you guys want something?"

One with a nasty scar appeared next to Chilly Pepper lookalike and narrowed his eyes at her like he wanted to kill her. Besides the scar and the lack of hair, Jessie could spot twins a mile away. The one approaching her from the Escalade had some wicked ink on the side of his face. Her curiosity perked at the sight of the glove on the guy's hand. As for his buddy, he was the normal one of the lot.

"Hey, now." She waved her finger at Tatts when he gave a gentle kick against the bumper. "She's a rental, now. Take it easy."

"Nice night to take a drive," said Mr. Normal.

"Awesome, right? Where you guys heading? Maybe I should join you for the ride."

Jessie watched as all four traded silent conversations around her. She'd seen that look a million times to know they didn't want her to hear what they really wanted to say. Jessie was no fool so she knew the traded glances were about Jamie. It must've clicked in them that she was hoping they would lead her to her brother

Tatts took Chilly Pepper lookalike's spot so he was the one over towering her. To show his appearance didn't intimidate her, Jessie brought up her hand and yawned out loud. Using her same hand, she playfully cleaned out her ear like she was bored. Her act had the others watching her as if she were crazy.

"You're going to leave Caldwell," Tatts said in a dark voice.

His silvery gaze seemed to glow as he spoke. Jessie met his stare with her own and swore she felt something tingle in her head. Pinpricks of ice tap-danced up and down her spine with each passing second. For a second, logic told her it would be best to leave the city and forget about the hunt.

Jamie was a grown man. Surely he didn't need his sister bailing him out of trouble every time. There really wasn't any point of her coming to Caldwell just because of some lousy phone call. Jessie could easily hop on a plane and forget this ever happened. Yeah, that sounded like a good—

What the hell was she thinking?

Jessie used all her strength and pushed Tatts far away from her.

"How about you go fuck yourself?"

Her shove must've shocked the asshole because he stood a couple feet away from her with a stunned expression. And he wasn't the only one because the others continued to stare at her like she was some alien.

Whatever had been flying in Jessie's head pissed her off so much that she took one strong step forward and gave Tatts another shove. It was so strong that she managed to push him right into Chilly Pepper lookalike. "I don't know what kind of voodoo you're trying to pull over me but fucking stop before I make you," she hissed.

Mr. Normal planted himself in front of her and Tatts. He was probably hoping to prevent the two of them going at it because he put his hands up. Jessie wasn't in the mood for peacemaker and Mr. Normal accidently reached a little too far. The second she felt his fingers brush against her arm, Jessie took hold over his wrist and jerked him backwards. The giant fell back and hit his face hard against the window, blood spraying over the cool surface.

Before Jessie could give him one to the stomach, a strong hand clamped down on her shoulder and spun her around. Feeling the hard edges of the car rubbing against her back, she chuckled like a mad person at the giant with the nasty scar. When she first saw him, the guy's eyes were a unique shade of gold. Now she stared into a pit of black.

"Go ahead," she baited. "One punch and it's on. And I'll be on my merry way after I kick all of your asses."

"Z, easy," said the giant's twin.

"The plan failed," he pointed out. "Besides, I think we should give her what she wants."

"Yeah, go ahead." The grin on Jessie's face widened until she was showing off her teeth. "I took on half of the football team during high school and barely broke a sweat. Might be a little rusty fighting giants but I'm all for the warmup."

It appeared the one pinning her was on the verge of giving her the fight when Tatts and Chilly Pepper lookalike placed their hands on his shoulders. Jessie could hear Mr. Normal next to her because he was busy trying to reset his broken nose.

The giant snarled as he released Jessie. Slightly disappointed, Jessie pushed herself off the car and fixed her top. "I know you guys want me to stop looking for my brother. How about I just tell you to stop? If I have to raise the city, I'll do it. Nothing's going to stop me so all of this is pointless."

"Is that a threat?" Tatts asked.

"Consider it a courtesy call. Now let me pass or I'll take my anger out on your ride. And believe me when I say I can get destructive."

Jessie waited for the giants to come up with a decision.

It was Tatts who told Mr. Normal to move the Escalade out of the way.

Once the vehicle was no longer blocking her, Jessie casually stuck her middle finger in front of Tatts and moved it around for the others to see. Turning her back on them, she hopped back in the car and turned it back on. She quickly rolled her window down so she could flip them off one more time before driving off.

As Jessie left the giants in the dust, she noticed how amped up she was. There was no denying that she had been acting up ever since arriving in Caldwell. It was just like the _lessers_ and these guys brought out the worst of her. Jessie hadn't felt so aggressive in a long time that it was overwhelming.

Years of pent up fury and she was more than happy to take it out on those who would dare prevent her from finding Jamie.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

The humming of his phone awoke Fhear. Lifting his head from the book he was using as a pillow, the prince yawned while swiping a piece of paper off his cheek. He was starting to find himself spending more sleeping time in the study instead of his room. It would make sense if he just made his bed in the place.

After he read La Chanson de Lily, there was piles of work he procrastinated on which had to be done. Fhear spent majority of his time getting some overdue studying just to keep his father off his shoulders. But by the time Fhear made it halfway through, he reopened the book and red it for a third time. Unlike earlier that night, this time it felt different reading La Chanson de Lily. The first time was because he had difficulty translating it which made the book less than appealing. When he cracked it open for the second time, he did his best to make sure he had the words correct and the progress didn't do anything to deliver the story.

When he read it for the third time, Fhear thought he was reading about Jessie.

Nithard, the oldest brother, was willing to do anything to protect his twin brother. Notker, the youngest brother, did as he was told to uphold tradition. And when Nithard was close to death and Notker begging for his brother's life, the god healed the brother and bestowed the gift to the twins and their bloodline.

One brother the protector and the other brother the light of their life.

Jessie du Bois was willing to anything in her power to protect her twin brother.

Fhear reached over for his phone when it stopped vibrating. Picking up the device and checking to see who called him, Fhear groaned when he saw that he slept past First Meal. A text popped up from Dhusk who was asking where his friend was. The male quickly texted back that he was in the study. Tossing the phone aside and glancing around, he noticed Tohr's absence. Maybe the Brother went to go do something and found his prince in the same spot when he returned. There was no point of sticking around if your charge wasn't going to move.

Not long after Fhear sent the text did Dhusk, Hhavoc, and Ahgony walk through the doors. The males noticed all of the big and old books occupying Fhear's desk. The prince just waved for them to come over while knocking some books to the floor. He was too tired to put them up and they were in the way.

"Hey there, Sleeping Beauty."

Fhear picked a book and chucked it at Dhusk. The male easily dodged it.

"Why didn't anyone come get me?" he asked while stretching his back.

Hhavoc dragged out a chair and practically fell over it. Folding his arms on the table's surface, the male rubbed his forehead in the crook of his left arm before settling down. "Knew you were here," he answered. "Figured you would come down if hungry."

Fhear casted a look at his friends. Both Ahgony and Dhusk were watching Hhavoc with concerned looks. It was enough to tell the prince things were getting worse for the male. Night had just begun not long ago and he was already tired. There were even twitches coming from him as if his body was being shocked.

Something was causing Hhavoc pain and he didn't want to admit it to the Brotherhood. Watching him suffer was killing Fhear. There was no doubt the others felt the same way. Dhusk was his cousin for crying out loud. Standing by and doing nothing as a family member went through pain they couldn't imagine would hurt like hell.

Ahgony cleared his throat, as if to change the subject they were all thinking. "My dad and the others had a run in with Jessie last night. You should've seen Butch at First Meal. The male as a welt the size of a lemon on his nose."

"Did they try to erase her memory?"

"Tried and failed." Dhusk found a chair hiding under the table and used it to it in. "You were right about her being here too long. The effects won't work on her. And I think our trick insulted her because she pushed Vishous."

The prince sat straight in his chair. "Hold up. Jessie, a human, pushed a Brother twice her height and weight?"

Ahgony held up two fingers. "Twice. Then she broke Butch's nose by tossing him against her car when he tried to keep her from fighting V. Her act almost created a fight between her and Zsadist. She has a death wish because she goaded my uncle into fighting her."

Running his hands through his hair, Fhear could only imagine what was to come next. Jessie called out a Brother to fight her. What he feared would happen was happening. He had seen Jessie fight the enemy. She wasn't afraid to go in when the odds were against her so it made sense for her to challenge one of the strongest Brothers.

"Okay, then. Hhavoc?"

"Hmm?"

"By any chance you can locate her?"

The male buried his head further into his arms. "Tonight's very loud. I can't separate the sounds so no. You'll have to figure it out on your own."

Standing up from his seat, Fhear rolled his shoulders around and heard them crack. "Fine. I guess you guys can—"

The doors to the study flew open. All four males turned their attention to see who entered.

"Yo, Fhear." V threw a jacket over to the prince. Standing behind the male was Butch who was sporting that lemon sized bruise Ahgony had been talking about. Rhage and Tohr were with them as well. "How do you feel about a drive?"

Fhear caught the jacket with a suspicious look. "What's with the invitation?"

"iAm called. Jessie's at his place," answered the male. V noticed the others in the room. "You three can come if you want. We're just heading over to the restaurant to settle a score. And before you ask, your old man's already cleared you for this trip. You'll be with us and these losers so you're more than guarded."

Slipping his arms into the jacket, Fhear looked at his friends. They were staring at the Brothers like they were hearing things. When they looked back at Fhear, he simply shrugged his shoulders. At least he would be getting out of the mansion. And if he had any hope of convincing Jessie one last time of leaving, he was more than ready to take this joyride out to civilization.

* * *

Once V turned the Escalade off, all eight males piled out. They were lucky to get in the ride together. Stepping out and stretching their bodies, they surveyed the area to see if there were any signs of _lessers_. When the coast was clear, they headed inside Sal's.

Tonight was a quiet night. Customers were scattered around as if trying to give the other some privacy. Fhear was the first one to spot Jessie in the booth far in the back. He nodded in her direction for the others to see. They went over the plan during the ride. Since Jessie hadn't thrown any punches at the male yet, they would let him try to talk some sense to her. If not, everyone could see how eager V was in starting the fight she dearly wanted.

The Brothers took two booths while Fhear approached Jessie. He wasn't even close to her and he could hear the music coming from her booth. Once he was standing right next to her, the music was so loud he was surprised Jessie's ears were working right. From what he could hear, Fhear could easily make out the rap in a different language.

Since she had yet to notice him, Fhear tapped her on the shoulder. Raising her head from the top of her arms, Jessie removed her earbuds which caused the music to get louder. Fhear had a strange feeling that the rapper was singing in French from the words he caught. Jessie reached in her pocket to pull out her iPod and lowered the music. The screen popped up to reveal the song was called K-SOS Musik by Rohff.

"Is he any good?" Fhear asked as he took a seat.

"Yeah," sighed Jessie. Wrapping her buds around the device, she placed it aside and waved her hand. One of the waitresses walked over with pad in hand. Fhear was about to tell Jessie he wasn't hungry when she told the waitress to open a tab. Something must've happened before they arrived because the waitress smiled and went down to where the others were sitting.

"Tell your buddies this is an apology for last night."

Fhear nodded while taking a good look at Jessie. There was no doubt she found another group of _lessers_ last night. She stunk of the enemy that he had to refrain himself from gagging. Another indicator of the fight was her body. Jessie was clearly confident with her body because she wore a black twist halter top and jean that had cuts over the legs. Fhear wasn't surprised when he saw her wearing shoes that had heels on them.

It was the bruises which concerned him.

Besides the healing eye, there was a fresh cut on her lip with a new bruise on her right cheek. There were a couple of signs from the fight on her arms and shoulders. Fhear was sure the parts her clothes covered would hold the same bruises. Anyone who went through a fight like this would do everything to hide the evidence. Jessie did the opposite and showed the world what she did. It was like she wasn't afraid what other people would think.

"Ah, noticing my accessories." Jessie wrapped fingers together and stretched her arms out. "Yeah, I found twelve assholes hours after my interesting meeting with your friends. They were tough. But at the end, I handed them their asses with little to gain."

"So you don't know where your brother is?"

"Not a clue. I guess I'll just have to try harder."

Fhear looked over at the Brothers. Guess they were hungry because they were placing orders. The male wouldn't put it past them to order the most expensive plates since it was Jessie who was paying.

Another waitress showed at their booth with a bottle of red wine and one glass. Jessie thanked the girl and popped open the bottle. Fhear watched as the red poured into the clear glass until it was close to the rim. Once it was full, Jessie inhaled before chugging down her drink. She cheered in delight as she refilled her drink.

"I really hope you're not driving," said Fhear.

"Why do you think I'm drinking then?" Jessie took her time on this drink. "Besides, I'm taking a break tonight on my hunt." Taking another pause for a sip of her drink, Jessie glanced over her shoulder to watch as appetizers were being brought out for the two booths. "The one with the tatts got some voodoo working for him. He tried to use it on me. Thank God it didn't work."

"So you're going to continue to look for your brother?" Fhear asked.

Jessie turned her attention back to him. "More than ever."

Since he didn't have a cup of his own, Fhear took Jessie's out of her hand and helped himself to a drink. The act didn't appear to offend her. In fact, she tipped him off so he could have more. When two waitresses came out of the kitchen, they both looked over at the very happy Brothers. A deep groan came from Jessie as she saw what they ordered.

"You really believe in the paranormal, don't you?"

"Why you say that?" Jessie retrieved her cup and helped herself to another drink.

"You asked if I was psychic and you said my friend uses voodoo."

"What can I saw? Born and bred in New Awlins. We folks believe in that stuff. Why? You and those palls of yours more than psychic?"

Fhear could only give her a grin and a shrug. After taking in his reaction, Jessie gave him the same thing and finished her drink. "That's right," she laughed. "You said you weren't psychic. I think you might be more than that."

"And what is that?"

Jessie rolled her head around her shoulders. "Don't know yet. All I know is that fucking _lessers_ are up to something. I mean, I haven't washed my clothes so much after a fight. They bleed black for crying out loud. The theory of it being some odd drug is starting to sound stupid. So, yeah. I'm one of those people who jump straight to supernatural if logic can't prove it. Do you know what those guys are?"

Fhear couldn't be any more right when he said, "You don't want to know."

Reaching for the wine to refill her cup, Jessie paused for a second before drawing her hand back. Scooting out of her seat and standing, she twisted her back which popped a couple of times and flipped her hair back. She took two strides away from the booth when she stopped to look back at Fhear. "I need to piss," she said so casually. "Bring the bill over if they're done ordering."

Fhear watched as Jessie closed the restroom door behind her. Once he knew he was in the clear, the prince waved over at the other tables while leaning over the table. Squeezed to the side of Jessie's bench was her backpack. V just approached when Fhear snatched the bag and opened it. During the ride to the restaurant, the males came up with a plan that if Jessie wouldn't listen to Fhear's last warning, they would find her phone which V would make a copy of so that whatever calls she received they would get as well. This was their only chance and they needed to be fast.

Since the prince had the bag, he rummaged through it. There weren't many items in it. Jessie must've used the bag to carry her daily items since she was always on the streets. Fhear mostly found wrappers with crumbs, a detailed map of Caldwell with notes all over it, a soda can that hadn't been open yet, a bottled water resting next to a rag which was probably used to wash away _lesser_ blood, and two Snickers.

At the bottom of the bag was Jessie's cell phone.

Fhear handed the device over to V who took out an extension cord and hooked it up to his phone and Jessie's. Both screens lit up as the sync began. The male assured the others that the link wouldn't take too long. It just depended on how long Jessie was gone.

Vishous's words held true because the link was over in thirty seconds. Unhooking the cord and tossing Jessie's bag to where it was, V returned to his booth and Fhear reclined back in the seat when Jessie returned. Flopping back down on her side and yawning, she casted one look at her bag like she was bored and rolled her head back.

"So why do you have a posse following you?"

"What?"

Jessie nudged her head back. "You always have someone with you. Too afraid to walk the streets on your own?"

Fhear felt his eyebrow twitch. Flexing his fingers and forming fists, he took a calm breath to keep his attitude in check. "Not my choice," he said with each breath.

"Let me guess. Something to do with family?"

The male didn't answer.

"I have some advice for you." Jessie snapped her head back and leaned on her arms which she placed on the table. Staring straight into Fhear's eyes, the male was so close he could separate the blue from the grey. Looking into her eyes reminded the prince of what Sam had told the others. He had yet to see if she had the lily birth mark but had a feeling it was somewhere on her body. However, it didn't matter to Fhear.

He could see in Jessie's eyes that she was a descendent of the famous twins.

"Since this whole thing is family, try to endure it."

"Have. For a really long time."

"Then tell them to fuck it."

Fhear snickered. "Already did that."

"How?"

Her question caught him off guard. "What do you mean 'how'?"

Jessie took the wine bottle and drank from it. Fhear could see with the liquid slosh around until Jessie finished the entire think. Burping and standing, she grabbed her bag and tossed it over her shoulder. Reaching in her pocket, a roll of bills magically appear and she threw down four hundred dollar bills.

Swaying on her feet thanks to the drink, Jessie hiccupped once and sat on the edge of the table to look down at Fhear.

"If you argue about it, your old man always wins. If you no longer care what he thinks about you, you can do anything you want."

She patted Fhear on the shoulder before pushing herself up and headed for the door. Fhear snatched the bills and followed her close to the door. He paused by the tables where the Brothers were dining down on their free meals. Dhusk was the one sitting on the edge so Fhear gave his friend the money while calling out to Jessie. She paused at the door with her hand on the knob.

"You're advice? What exactly do you mean?"

Sighing as if she was tired, Jessie blew back her hair as she stared back at Fhear. The look on her face was not a playful one but a face someone wore when they knew they couldn't win a fight no matter what.

"Tell your father that you're done playing his fucking game."

There was a flare in those dark eyes of hers. With each word she spoke, a deep hatred filled Jessie's gaze that they held Fhear in his place. It was when she left did he feel like he could move.

"What was that about?" asked Ahgony.

To be honest, Fhear didn't have the slightest clue. He didn't know if Jessie was talking to him or to herself.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

There was no uproar from Fhear's father when he and the males returned the mansion. In fact, no one brought it up. Guess Wrath had been cool with his son leaving with such heavy guarding. Strange how the other night he told Fhear that he would no longer have any more moonlit walks and still let him leave with the exception of seven Brothers with him. Trying to figure out what his father was thinking kept reminding Fhear of what Jessie told him.

Sitting in his room, Fhear stared at his laptop. Resting next to the device was Jessie's report. Ever since she gave him her advice, he couldn't help but reread it. Something in the human's voice sent chills through him which intensified every time he read her arrests. There was the fact that words could do so much and this was why he was staring at the blank screen.

Shaking his head for feeling so stupid, the male brought up the internet and typed in YouTube. There was no doubt Jessie's fights were online so it would be easy for him to bring them up. When the home page showed up, he typed in Jessie's name and clicked on the one with the New Orleans tag. Taking a second to load, multiple videos showed up with street names of the city and school names going from middle school to high school.

The first video Fhear clicked on was filmed at Benjamin Franklin High School. The video was filmed using a cellphone so it was a bit difficult for Fhear to see what was happening. Thankfully the owner of the phone pushed their way to the front of the crowd to see what was happening. Fhear felt his body flinch when a student who looked like a wrestler came sliding along the floor on his back. Two students were on top of him, beating the student with their fists.

Fhear didn't need a close-up to see the two boys were twins.

As the camera went up to the full ring, there were identical boys and identical girls in a big brawl with students wearing sports jerseys. In the middle of the fight was a sixteen-year-old Jessie. Throwing hard punches and kicks, she took down her opponents without fearing the fact that they were twice her size. One student made the mistake in grabbing her from behind and picking her off her feet. Cleary Jessie didn't care about honor because she kicked the student in the groin twice. Once she was released, she threw another kick before connecting her bleeding fists to his nose.

By the time the teachers showed up, the mass of twins stood triumphantly over their opponents. As for Jessie, the camera showed her striding over to where Jamie sat on the floor with a bruised eye.

Fhear clicked back and picked another video. This one was taken at Audubon Charter School with Jessie fighting a girl in the hallway. All the male could see was wild dark hair merging with blond hair until Jessie had the girl pinned against a locker. Again, the girl Jessie was fighting appeared bigger compared to her small body. Jessie had to in her first year while the other girl looked twice her age. Either way, Jessie was slamming her knees into the girl's stomach until a boy and a girl who appeared identical dragged her off.

Standing on the opposite end of the lockers was a scared Jamie with a red mark on his cheek.

Pausing the video, Fhear scrolled down the following links. Most of them had Jessie's fighting locations with her famous Pit-bull name in parenthesizes. There was no doubt that she was famous in her home town. And if Fhear wanted to go through all of her fights, he was sure Jamie would be someone in the corner.

The male picked up the papers and blindly flipped through them. Jessie really was a fighter. Surely someone in the family taught her and the others how to fight like crazy. Thinking about the other members of Jessie's family worried Fhear. If she was this worried for her twin and wasn't thinking twice on whose head she busted, surely other du Boiss or Beauvilliers would come seeking.

Tossing the papers back on the table, one paper caught Fhear's attention. Pulling it out of the pile, the male read the name and typed in Jessie's name along with Loyola University New Orleans. Unlike the fights and stage names, there were videos of the university's music department. Fhear clicked on the first one which was of the university's opera.

At first, the male sat on his hands so he wouldn't fast-forward through the two hour long video. It was a difficult task when the video made it to the ten minute marker. Making it another ten minutes, Fhear was ready to change the video when he saw Jessie who didn't have any blue streaks in her hair walk on stage in what looked like a nineteen-twenty dress. She was accompanied by two other girls wearing the same costume. Together, the three did a jig on stage while singing with Jessie in the lead.

Fhear had to check the volume on his laptop to make sure it wasn't on full. Sure enough, it was Jessie's voice which was loud. And if it were possible, it grew louder when it was just her singing on stage.

Just in case someone passed his door, Fhear connected his headphone to the laptop and pulled the muffs over his ears. Jessie was singing in French but it sounded as if she were speaking a whole different language. Each word precise and each note hit to perfection, her voice was so amazing it was hard to believe.

The videos on the side were of different bars in New Orleans with Jessie's name on them. Clicking one, the date was on Halloween from three years ago so Fhear was a little surprised when he saw Jessie wearing a leather dress and a mask. Through the dark surrounding and the flashing lights, Jessie was still missing her blue hair. She stood on stage with the bad behind her and the crowd banging their heads to the music. Thankfully the camera which had been filming was professional because the scenes would zoom in and out.

 _"Dead Boy's alive but without sense  
_ _I need a near-death experience_  
 _Heart once bold_  
 _Now turned to stone_  
 _Perfection my messenger from hell"_

 _"Wine turns to water_  
 _Campfires freeze, loveletters burn_  
 _Romance is lost_  
 _Lord, let me be wrong in this pain"_

 _"Temporary pain, eternal shame_  
 _To take part in this devil's chess game_  
 _Spit on me, let go, get rid of me_  
 _And try to survive your stupidity"_

When Jessie hit the high note, Fhear had to turn the music down a bit as she hit the note with perfection.

Fhear accidently forgot to turn off the next-link button because another video of Jessie singing on a stage in a bar showed up. Unlike the previous one, this one was taken during the day. This wasn't a professional camera but it was better than a cellphone and the person who was filming stood in the front. Apparently Jessie got the blue in her hair recently because this video was two years old and it was still missing. Either way, she was on stage with her hands on the mic and rolling her head to the opening song and having fun. Brushing strands from her face, her shoulder rolled under her blue tank top and her legs visibly swayed to the music since she was wearing shorts and black lace up boots.

 _"It was just the beginning_  
 _I think that I was meant to be next to you, to you_  
 _On this planet spinning_  
 _I think that I was meant to be next to you, to you_  
 _And you know I found the dust to be resilient_  
 _And we're the dirtiest of the dirt_  
 _Every time we fall to pieces_  
 _We build something new out of the hurt_  
 _And we can never come back to earth_  
 _To earth, to earth, to earth, to earth_  
 _We can never come back to earth, to earth, to earth"_

 _"Are you living your life or just waiting to die?_  
 _The bright, the bright, the bright_  
 _The brightest things fade the fastest_  
 _All my life, the bright, the bright, the bright_  
 _The brightest things fade out the fastest_  
 _Whoa, whoa, whoa_  
 _The brightest things fade the fastest_  
 _Whoa, whoa, whoa_  
 _The brightest things fade the fastest"_

Letting the video play till the end, the next video popped up on the screen. This one was completely different because the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival appeared before zooming down at the corner. From what was on the title, this vide was taken in the Jazz Tent. Jessie was up on stage with people behind her who were setting up their instruments. Fhear made sure to check how old the video was and was completely surprised that it was filmed just recently. The blue hair was still absent so Fhear assumed Jessie was on the verge of graduating collage.

There were a bunch of people seated which could've been a good sign that they were there to watch her. Because Jessie was who she was, she wore a white spaghetti strap with a blue flour-du-lies right in the center with a tie-dye skirt tied around her dark jeans and black strapped heels on her feet. Her hair wasn't pulled back so she kept brushing it back as she took position in the front. Once it appeared that they were ready, she snapped her fingers with the piano following on the last flick.

 _"Bouquets des roses_  
 _Chansons qui parlent que d'une chose_  
 _Amour, amour_  
 _Tremblement de terre_  
 _Collier qui porte mon bonheur_  
 _Amour, toujours_  
 _Amour, t'es là?_  
 _Amour, je cherche ton schéma_  
 _Amour, c'est toi?_  
 _Amour, pourquoi tu te caches de moi"_

 _"Rêve des bisous_  
 _Deux mots, qui caressent le cou_  
 _Amour, amour_  
 _Monde à l'envers_  
 _Qui va porter mon bonheur_  
 _Amour, toujours_  
 _Amour, t'es là?_  
 _Amour, je cherche ton schéma_  
 _Amour, c'est toi?_  
 _Amour, je sais pas vraiment_  
 _Amour, pourquoi?_  
 _Amour, pourquoi tu te caches de moi?"_

 _"Chaque matin je me lève, je me lève très tôt_  
 _Pour aller au boulot_  
 _Ce matin j'ai l'impression_  
 _Quelqu'un va repondre à ma question_  
 _Amour, t'es là?_  
 _Amour, je cherche ton schéma_  
 _Amour, c'est toi?_  
 _Amour, je sais pas vraiment_  
 _Amour, t'es fou_  
 _Amour, je te cherche, t'es où?_  
 _Amour, pourquoi, amour_  
 _Pourquoi, tu te caches de moi?"_

A tap on the head announced that Fhear wasn't alone in his room.

Slightly startled, the prince removed his headphones to find his _mahmen_ standing next to him. Fhear pushed the Pause button when Beth took a seat on the edge of the desk. She casted a look at the screen and smiled like she knew what her son was doing.

"I'm guessing that's the girl who's been causing everyone so much trouble."

Fhear laughed to himself for being caught. He then watched as his _mahmen_ unplugged the headphones and pressed Play. They both listened to Jessie continue her act. "She's really good," said Beth while shaking her head to the beat.

"She went somewhere called—"Fhear reached over for the paper to see the name of the collage, "—some place called Loyola University in New Orleans."

"That explains it." Beth was the one who pushed the Pause. Folding her arms and sighing, she watched her son. For a second, Fhear didn't know the reason for this unexpected visit. However, the more his _mahmen_ continued to stare at him with knowing eyes, it didn't take long for the message to sink in.

The prince leaned back in his chair and pinched his eyes. He then realized his action reminded him of what his father did whenever he was tired. No matter how much they fought, one could tell they were father and son by their movements.

"I'll be ready tomorrow," he told his _mahmen_.

Beth patted her son on the shoulder. Her presence was her way of telling him he would have to accompany his father to another _princep_ meeting. And since how things were going, there was no way Fhear was getting out of it.

Thanking his mother a second time, Fhear turned his eyes back on the laptop and reconnected his headphones. He was on the verge of looking up more of Jessie's video when Beth drew her son into a hug. Momentarily blinking, he sat there with his _mahmen's_ arms wrapped around his head. It felt too soon when she released him.

"Whatever you do, make sure it's what you want."

Giving her son one more pat on the shoulder, Beth began making her way over to the door. Before she could leave, Fhear called out the same time he heard the door creak open. " _Mahmen_ ," he said without turning around, "what do I do if I'm done with the game?"

"What do you mean?" Beth asked.

Fhear shook his head and turned around to give his _mahmen_ a smile. "It's nothing. Just something someone told me and haven't been able to get it out of me head."

Beth tilted her head like she was trying to decipher what her son asked her. All Fhear could do was continue to smile. The act worked because Beth smiled back and left. Once she was gone, Fhear placed the headphones back on his head and continued his search of Jessie. But no matter how much music he listened to, her mysterious warning continued to wage war in his head.

Jessie gave him advice and it sounded reasonable in a strange way. He just continued to wonder what made her think like that.

* * *

It was well past evening and the middle of the night when Jessie rolled out of her rental. With one strong push to open the door, she inhaled fresh air and gagged out of reflex since her stomach was growling and her head was spinning. This was what she got for finishing a bottle on her own. She'd think her cousin's wedding would put her in her place over red wine.

Thinking about last night brought up the unsightly memory of Fhear and his party. She really hoped the money she left paid for the meal. From the look of those giants, they definitely had giant stomachs. And as of right now, Jessie might as well try their category because her stomach was growling up a storm.

Jessie knew when she wasn't up for a fight and tonight was one of those nights. The best way to handle the night would be to scan the streets, maybe find the giants and tag them, and end up at Sal's for a much needed meal. Ever since Jessie arrived in Caldwell, she had yet to find a Cajun restaurant and a French restaurant that didn't overcharge their food.

She really missed a home cooked meal.

Figuring time was wasting, Jessie took in a couple more gulps of tasty air and slammed the door back. Locking up the car and reaching in the front for her change of clothes, she started changing while thinking on which street to turn over first.

* * *

Driving around in hopes of finding a certain _lesser_ , the mood in the Hummer was less than optimistic. It got too quiet in the ride so Qhuinn raised the volume on the radio. Blaylock rolled his eyes and took a turn to avoid a red light. When the male continued to play with the radio out of boredom, the one who stopped him from breaking the buttons was John. He pushed his friend in the shoulder for him to give it a rest.

The three had drawn the short stick in finding Mr. J, aka Jamie du Bois while everyone else either helped train the initiates or had some fun. Then again, not everyone was having fun tonight. No one missed the dead silence between king and prince when First Meal came around. Eyes were focused on both males as they ate in silence without the usual argument being fired back and forth. In fact, the silence was way worse than a heated fight between the two.

"So how are we expected to find one _lesser_?" complained Qhuinn.

 _Don't know_ , John signed. _The last one who found the group was Fhear and Hhavoc._

Blay took another turn. "Now that you mention it, how did the two find them? I mean, the two just left the mansion and ended right in the middle of the fight."

"True. No one found out how they knew the fight was happening." Qhuinn sat back in his chair. "Maybe the prince and those males have some system they're working. Didn't V give Fhear a few tips in hacking? There's a chance he figured a way to alert any activity."

"Well, one would think V would be the one to do that and not Fhear."

John and Qhuinn nodded in agreement to Blay as he continued the endless game of search.

Another hour passed and it was no surprise that Qhuinn suggested they head to Iron Mask. They had been driving since they left the mansion and they were already halfway in their shift. Qhuinn even asked his friends to raise their hands for a vote and the two played the part in raising their hands. Turning on his blinker, Blaylock was on the verge of turning the Hummer around when something stopped him. Qhuinn asked the male if something was up but went silent when he felt something. John got itchy in the back as well and the feeling grew as Blay pulled off to the side.

The male had driven them to the west part of downtown without thinking so they really didn't know where their exact location was. However, the males didn't need any help of identifying this foreboding feeling they had creeping up their spines.

This was their way of knowing _lessers_ were around.

Down the road was a split which the buildings created a triangle area. The shops on all three sides were closed for the night while the only people around were hailing cabs. This was a spot where people caught a ride so it made sense on how barren it was. Once the last human got in a taxi, the males noticed how there was a black van parked on the side. And the single van happened to be running.

Blay turned off the Hummer the same time John and Qhuinn stepped outside. Whoever was in the van didn't notice them so all the males stayed close to buildings and in the shadows. There was surely a _lesser_ in the van and a couple more in the area. Since they couldn't locate the other _lessers_ , the best thing was to wait and see how many were still around.

Sure enough, a door to one of the buildings opened and three _lessers_ came walking out. Two held AK-47s while the one in the middle clutched a laptop bag. The two packing scanned the area and the one in the van came out holding the same gun. As for the one with the bag, his shoulders were up and his head was down like he was afraid to step out of line.

"Is that who I think it is?" Blay whispered.

Turned out their meaningless night was worth something.

 _One shot for each bastard. 0nce we got Jamie, someone call Sam. We need to be fast._

Reading John's hands, Blay and Qhuinn pulled out their guns. With their friend in the lead, John led them out of the shadows and steadily approached the group. Right when they crossed the road, the _lesser_ who was in the van noticed them first and shouted to alert the others. He was too late because John put a bullet in his head a second later. The other two drew their guns but never had a chance because Blay and Qhuinn put them down just as fast.

Three bodies fell with a shaken Jamie standing in the center.

Taking one look at the males, Jamie turned around like he was about to run when Qhuinn materialized next to him and tackled the _lesser_ to the ground. The two fell hard and there was no struggle once Qhuinn got a hold on him.

John whistled over at Blay and the male nodded as he pulled out his phone. While Blay stepped aside to call Sam who was with Vishous and Butch, John ventured further down the road to keep an eye out for more trouble.

He just went down the wrong way.

Right when Sam picked up, Blay didn't get so much as a word out when a Volkswagen Jetta ran right into him. The male went flying in the air and crashed near the car as it came to a screeching halt.

"Blay!" shouted Qhuinn.

Before anyone could help the wounded male, Jessie jumped out of the driver's side and ran up to Blay. She reached down into his jacket and snatched his gun with him still on his side. Taking the gun and checking the mag, Jessie placed her heel on the back of Blaylock's skull and fired three rounds around his head while missing each shot.

"Let him go!"

John tried to bring his own gun up to shoot when Jessie beat him and shot another bullet much closer to Blay. Digging the sole of her boot further in his head, Blay snarled at the human who ran him over and was using his own gun on him.

Jamie propped his chin on the ground and stared at his twin. "Jessie?"

"I said let him go!"

To spare Blay a bullet which was closer in finding its target, Qhuinn held his hands up and got off of Jamie.

"Jamie," called Jessie. She nodded to the slightly dented car. "Get in."

Still on the ground, Jamie didn't move an inch. As for Qhuinn, he drew back his lips and growled at the human. The sight of his fangs would've frightened any human and that was what he was hoping for. His growl grew so loud anyone would've ran away. Instead, Jessie took one look at his fangs and tightened her hold over the gun.

"Jamie!" she shouted.

Her voice snapped her twin out of his daze because he got up to his feet. However, he didn't got running to his sister. In fact, Jamie glanced over his shoulder in John's location and looked back at Jessie. "What the hell are you doing here?" he shouted back. "I told you not to come!"

"Shut the fuck up and get in the fucking car!"

A tire screech sounded down the road. John spun around and whistled to let the males know they had company. Lights illuminated the dark road as a sign that the enemy was very close. This time Jamie inched back to the building he was ushered out of like he was afraid to leave.

Jessie noticed his submissive behavior because she screamed out his name. With the vehicle of reinforced _lessers_ heading right towards them, John had a call to make and there was no time to think. He gave out a loud whistle which signaled Qhuinn on what to do. The male gave his friend a nod and turned his attention back on Jessie.

His dark look alerted her because she finally turned the gun from Blay to Qhuinn and fired a warning shot. The flesh wound to his arm was all he needed to make put the plan in action.

* * *

Restraining himself from yawning, Fhear held his breath for the yawn to pass. Once he was in the clear, his eyes wondered around the table. A male stood and read from a report in his hand while the others patiently listened. Well, not everyone. Fhear stopped listening half an hour into the meeting and there was one empty chair in the room.

This was the first time he experienced Bhrutal's absence. Tohrment had been right on how the other males didn't bring up the male's tardiness. He even noticed the fear in their eyes whenever someone suggested in calling the male. From what Fhear saw, there was a good reason to be afraid of him. Surely these males sitting at the table in their fancy suits didn't know about Bhrutal's business. If they did, there wouldn't be murmurs of his unwillingness to attend these stupid meetings.

Thinking about his encounter with Bhrutal sent chills down Fhear's body. A male who was born into nobility and held a position for these meetings sounded like a cover-up while the one who ran the club and its hidden rooms sounded like the real Bhrutal. Then there was the conversation Fhear heard in a strange language and papers in Spanish. Fhear didn't put it past him that Bhrutal had business on the side. He was just too scared to think of what the male had in the shadows.

All of these thought of the secretive male was a nice reminder to tell Hhavoc and the others to keep their pets off of their neighbor's estate. No way in hell was Fhear ready to hear what happened to the poor souls who wandered onto unfriendly land.

Fhear was too busy in his head that he barely missed the buzzing coming from Tohr's pants. He looked over at the male who was sitting next to him. Taking out the phone and casually bringing it up to his ear, the Brother listened and whispered that they were on the way. Once he hung up, he leaned over to whisper something to Wrath who nodded. Next thing, Fhear felt Tohr tapping him on the shoulder and gesturing for them to leave.

Some males noticed the prince and the Brother standing but said nothing. Besides, their king and the _Princep Leahdyre_ didn't react to the two behind them so there was no cause of alarm. All Tohr did was tell Fhear to materialize back to the mansion. The prince did as he was told and bowed to the males before dematerializing from the room.

As he and Tohr appeared in the mansion, the first one to approach them was Hhavoc. The male had been sitting on the steps of the main staircase like he was waiting for them. Fhear looked at his friend and noticed the seriousness in those dark gold eyes. Something wasn't right and it was Hhavoc who would have to tell them the bad news.

"Is John okay?" was the first think Tohrment asked.

Fhear looked over at the male. Now it made sense as to why Tohr asked to leave. John must've gotten hurt while on patrol.

"He and the others are about to pull in." Hhavoc turned his gaze to Fhear. "I think you might want to put on a vest."

"What's going on, man?"

Hhavoc didn't get a chance to answer because beams of lights passed the front windows and disappeared down into the garage. With no words, Hhavoc led the two males down the tunnels and into the garage the same time John and Blaylock stepped out of the Hummer. The Brothers who weren't on patrol and those who had been in the mansion formed in the garage as well right when a Volkswagen pulled in. Qhuinn got out from behind the wheel and shut the door.

Fhear got a good sight of the left side of the car. He was completely speechless because it was riddled in bullets.

Jane and Manny made their way over to the males in doctor mode while everyone else circled around the Volkswagen. Tohrment was by John's side in an instant with worry in his voice. While John signed to the male that he was alright and the others were being checked on, Fhear kept his eyes locked on the little car.

"Aw, hell."

It was Hhavoc who made the comment. Turning his gaze to his friend, he watched as Hhavoc stumbled over to a chair and fell on it with no grace. "Brace yourself," he warned Fhear before closing his eyes and started rubbing his temples.

A very loud thump came from the car.

All heads in the garage turned to the Volkswagen when another thump came from it.

"We ran into some trouble," announced Qhuinn.

Fhear jumped when a series of thumps erupted from the trunk. Seconds later and high pitches screams joined the thumps.

"Aw, hell," repeated Fhear. "You didn't."

John, Qhuinn, and Blay all nodded as the trunk grew louder by the second. "We ran into Jessie," Blay said. He held up a hand to show his bruised body. "She hit me with her car and threatened to blow my head off."

"Why?" called out Ahgony.

"We found Jamie," continued the male. "Well, we had him in our sights when she came in."

"And you brought her here?" Tohr asked.

The three shrugged when the trunk went silent.

Just because he had to, Fhear approached the car. His eyes caught the front which was covered in blood and slightly dented. There was more blood on the nearly caved in window shield. He felt someone behind him which he didn't mind for a change. Getting closer to the trunk, he took in a deep breath and knocked once on it.

"Jessie?"

More silence.

 _"_ _YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT! I'M GOING TO FUCKING RIP YOUR DICK OFF AND SHOVE IT DOWN YOUR FUCKING THROAT THIS VERY FUCKING SECOND!"_

A barrage of punches and shrieks scared Fhear that he jumped as far away as possible.

Dearest Scribe Virgin, the Brotherhood would need all the help they could get. Jessie ran a Brother over and used a weapon on him. She was this close in getting her brother back and ended up prisoner in the trunk of her own car. Now she was in the garage of the mansion with a bunch of males and their families hollering threats she mostly likely would keep.

Fhear prayed to his goddess with each bloodcurdling threat coming from the trunk. Jessie was coming out of there one way or another. Fhear hoped they had a plan when that moment came to play.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

"We just apprehended Jamie when that crazy bitch ran over Blay. Next thing we knew, she had him at gunpoint. It if weren't for the _lessers_ , I think our only choice would've been to hand her brother over."

Fhear sighed as he leaned further in his chair after hearing Qhuinn's statement. Because his father was still in the meeting, it was his duty to listen on what happened. This was the first time he took his role as prince seriously because there was a highly pissed human stuck in a trunk in the garage. Hhavoc was with Fhear so Ahgony stayed in the garage to make sure Jessie didn't get creative in escaping. His father and uncle were with him at the moment so there was no worry about a fight breaking out if Jessie did find a way out.

Ever since he met her, Fhear constantly worried out this happening. He just never expected her to hit a Brother with her car and nearly shoot him in the head. Well, he did watch the videos of her fights and read the reports on her multiple arrests. Jessie was a resourceful person when it came to protecting her brother so using a car as a weapon didn't have that much of an effect on Fhear as it should.

Blaylock was still being checked by Jane but would definitely be out of the game for a while. The wounds John and Qhuinn inflicted were from the backup _lessers_. Fhear didn't like the fact that all those weapons from the abandoned factory they busted were out there in the enemy's hands. Another thing messing with his mind was how organized the enemy had become over time. Surely the backup was because the first time didn't radio in or something once they had Jamie.

Damn, they had been this close in getting the kid.

His sister just had to show up.

"John says she was probably driving around," Tohr translated for male. He nodded while reading John use his hands to sign. "We all knew she was patrolling the streets for any hints of her brother. This was just luck turned bad. It was John's call to take her when the _lessers_ showed up. She was the one holding a gun on Blay and they needed to move him fast. Qhuinn did as he was told and that's how they ended up bringing extra cargo." Once Tohr was finished, he looked over at Fhear. "So what do we do about the IED we have?"

Now something Fhear had yet to think of.

Casting a glance over at Hhavoc, it was unsettling to find his friend rubbing his eyelids with the heel of his palms. Out of his friends, Hhavoc was the wrong person to have looking for help even before they found out about his ability. The reason why Fhear had him by his side was because he wanted to keep an eye on the male. Things were getting worse and it appeared to amplify the moment they brought Jessie to the mansion. Maybe it was all the physical noise making the echoes in Hhavoc's head intensify. Noise in the real world or not, Fhear was watching Hhavoc taking the blunt force of what was happening around them.

Fhear mentally reminded himself to meet up with Dhusk and Ahgony when he had the Jessie problem settled.

"We can't keep her in the trunk forever. Let's just try to move her to one of the classrooms and figure it out from there." Fhear paused as something popped in his mind. "Make sure there aren't any loose items she can use as a weapon."

Since it was Fhear's idea, he figured it would be he who opened the trunk. And strange enough, no one asked the question on who was releasing Jessie. Guess he was self-appointed without objections.

The prince called out for Hhavoc to follow him back to the garage. Leaving the infirmary behind them, Fhear's mind tortured him on the possibilities if Jessie broke free from them. No doubt she would take her rage on the first body she could get her hands on. They just needed to act fast in moving her and wait for Wrath to return to make the ultimate decision.

Arriving to the garage and telling the males of their plan, Phury and Zsadist stood on both sides of the trunk. Ahgony was up in the front looking for the lever to release the trunk while Hhavoc swayed on his feet behind Fhear. The prince swallowed the lump in his throat when he heard Ahgony announce he was about to open it. Fhear braced himself when he heard the latch release the trunk and the top popped open.

It was eerily quiet in there.

When nothing happened, Fhear glanced over at the twin males. They both kept a sharp eye on the trunk even though Jessie didn't come popping out. There was no hissing human bolting straight at Fhear and beating him to a bloody pulp that it was scaring the hell out of him. It was so quiet that Ahgony joined Fhear and Hhavoc without an incident happening.

"Are sure she's still in there," whispered Fhear.

"Yeah," Ahgony whispered back. "We never took our eyes off of the car. Besides, she did a bunch of threatening while taking her anger out on the inside. Maybe she wore herself tired."

Because the silence was killing them, Fhear waved for Phury and Z to slowly open the trunk. The brothers nodded and reached for the trunk. Once their fingers were wrapped around the steel, they slowly eased it open. Fhear bent down when there was enough room to see inside which was only darkness.

Where the hell was Jessie?

His question was immediately answered when the trunk was halfway open.

The trunk shot straight up with a spare tire sailing straight into and knocking Ahgony off his feet. Shrieking like a wild beast, Jessie lurched up on her knees and swung what looked like a jack lever against Z's face before rotating on her knees and striking Phury in the crotch. Spinning around until she was facing Fhear with one male on the ground under a tire and the other two falling back, Jessie roared as she launched herself out of the trunk.

It was Hhavoc who pushed the prince out of the way in time. The both of them fell with Jessie on top of the other male. Pushing himself up, Fhear looked over his shoulder in time to witness Jessie get off of Hhavoc and do a low roundhouse kick against his face. Hhavoc's head snapped left from the impact with a sharp crack against the floor. Just from the sound of it, anyone could tell it was a powerful kick. Fhear watched as Hhavoc's eyes rolled to the back of his head from the move.

A second or not, it was Fhear's turn because Jessie loomed above him with her leg far in the air behind her. Eyes burning a blue and grey color, they bore right into the male, paralyzing him in his spot. If any of the males recovered from her surprise attacks and materialized in front of the human, the act would be pointless because her foot was coming down with incredible speed. All Fhear could do was brace himself for the impact.

Jessie yelped when two black blur tackled her to the ground.

The two rolled around for a second when the small black wolf stood on top of her with big one hovering over her head. Snarling with its jaws wide open, the big wolf's hackles were standing on their ends. It was the small one which kept the big one from ripping Jessie to shreds. The black wolf turned its dark gold gaze down on Jessie who was apparently holding her breath. With one snap of its mighty jaws, the wolf trotted over to the unconscious Hhavoc and black smoke erupted over its body. As the smoke flew away, a naked Ahnger emerged from its remains as he knelt next to his son.

Fhear sat up in time to watch the same act happen over the other wolf and reveal Victoria wearing nothing sitting on Jessie's chest. The human's eyes were black instead of blue and her fingers were still in the form of claws. Victoria didn't have to smile to show her fanged teeth. Everyone knew when her wolf traits were in play.

Jessie's body began to shake. With her terrified eyes pinned right at Victoria, the human quirked an eyebrow as if she found the sight amusing. Parting her lips, Jessie tried to say something but all that came out were stutters.

"R-r-r-r-rou-rouga—"

A clawed hand clamped down over Jessie's mouth.

"Don't you dare say it," growled Victoria. With Jessie silently nodding her head, Victoria's eyes returned to normal as her fingers and teeth followed the same route. "How's Hhavoc?" she called out.

As if his name was all it took, the male's eyes snapped open and he bolted up to a sitting position. The hit he took did a deal on him because he almost fell back over if it wasn't for his father catching him.

"He'll live," said Ahnger in a deep voice.

A tire rolled over near Fhear that he looked over and saw Ahgony rubbing his bleeding forehead. The male's eyes swirled around in their sockets like he couldn't see straight. Soon it was his turn to have his father kneeling by his side. As for Z, the male wiped the blood from his nose while glaring at Jessie with his black gaze.

Knowing that the situation was now under control, Fhear pushed himself up to his feet. As for Jessie, she continued to lay perfectly still under Victoria. Out of everything that involved the human, this was the first time Fhear seen her acting obedient. There had to be some unspoken understanding between the two humans because Victoria was completely relaxed on Jessie's chest while telling the others that her _hellren_ saw the whole thing and was coming over. And sure enough, Mehrcy stormed in with an exhausted Dhusk on his heels. Both of the males were wearing workout clothes since it was their turn to train the initiates tonight.

Fhear retold the older male of the plan who glanced over at Dhusk. His grandson gave him a nod and darted back out of the garage to prepare a room to move Jessie. The prince wanted to check on his friends who were having a hard time standing on their own but stayed where he was since their fathers were by their sides. Jessie took out two experienced Brothers in one fast move and probably brain damaged the other two with a spare tire and a sharp kick both to the head. She must've moved a lot in the trunk to remove both items. Fhear took a look at the fully aired tire and figured it was heavy which meant Jessie had to hold it on top of her since she threw it at Ahgony. Then there was the fact that she managed to get the jack lever out in time to attack Phury and Z. Jessie probably thought her enemies were in close range so she took a gamble when it came to escaping.

Her gamble worked because she nearly came out victorious if it hadn't been for Ahnger and Victoria. Now Fhear wanted to know why Jessie kept staring at the human like she was staring at a ghost. There was definitely something between the two because Victoria murmured something in French and Jessie nodded as if understanding.

"Alright then. We're all set to go."

Victoria hopped off of Jessie and dragged her up to her feet. She continued to stare at the human even when Mehrcy approached her. Her attention snapped over to the male when he grabbed her by the arm and started hauling her out of the garage. It only took a second before the old Jessie returned because she started cursing the male out. A soft laugh came from Victoria as she followed the two out without the thought of her nakedness.

It was quiet when the three of them left. As for those who were still lingering around, the males were trying to heal from their wounded prides. Ahgony and Hhavoc weren't doing so good so they were taken to the infirmary. Phury needed a little help since he was limping all the way out. Now that it was just Fhear in the garage, the male released a long sigh and didn't care that he fell back on the floor.

No doubt in his mind Wrath would hear about Jessie's murder stunt along with her near manslaughter charge. Just thinking of what might come had Fhear worrying about another fight breaking out. He had seen Jessie take on _lessers_ and now the Brotherhood. She had no fear which might be her weakness. Either way, there was no way she was been set free now that she was officially on their side in their ancient war. It was just up to her in cooperating and seeing what awaited her on the other side of the game. And if things didn't go her way, Fhear wouldn't be surprised if she decided to take the game into her own hands.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

The very second when Jessie was locked in a room, she pulled out her phone and dialed her grandmother's number. It was only eleven here at Caldwell so it was hardly ten in New Awlins. The older woman would definitely be awake since almost every night the Beauvilliers who lived in the city would get together to have dinner as a family. If she was lucky, there might some advice she could collect from her crazy cousins.

Things went from bad to fucking messy in one night. Not only was some weird battle going on between Fhear's posse and the group Jamie was rolling with, the giants had two damn rougarous. Rougarous for crying out loud!

While the end rung, Jessie scavenged around the room in hopes of using something for a weapon. Her hint of fear flared up to annoyance when she realized why they put her in this room. Apparently they scrubbed the place of everything except for the tables which probably weighed more than the damn tire in the trunk. It took Jessie forever to remove the false bottom and drag the tire out. She had to use her feet to kick the trunk to cover her grunts as she lifted the thing out.

"Jessie?" answered Grams.

"Thank God!"

"Dearie, don't use the Lord's name in vain. And when are you going to church? You haven't gone in a month and I'm starting to worry."

Jessie paused in her search to go over the dates in her head. Now that Grams mentioned it, she hadn't done her monthly visit to church along and her yearly confession was coming around the corner. If she ever got out of whatever she was in, she'd do both in one day so thinking of it wouldn't send chills down her spine.

"Sorry. I promise I'll go to church after I take care of this." Jessie pressed her cell between her shoulder and head so she could rummage through the cabinets for anything. "And before you ask, I need to know something. Has anyone called for me?"

It was Grams turn to pause. Music and laughter was going on in the background. Jessie paused again so she could hear the family dinner going on without her. The du Bois hardly did what the Beauvilliers did that the thought of changing her last name to her mom's last name always sounded appealing.

There was just one problem that held her back.

"No, sweetie. No one's called for you."

Jessie sighed in relief as she resumed her search. "Good. Now I'm calling you just to let you know I'm in a slight pinch."

"Do you want me to send Edward to help you out?"

"Hell no! I think Eddie and his followers would just make a mess out of things." Out of everyone in the Beauvilliers family, Jessie's pyromaniac cousin was the last person she needed on her team for this. His twin was no better and the people they hung around were nothing but trouble. At least half of their followers were afraid of Jessie so she never had to worry about her cousins getting into any real trouble she couldn't bail them out of.

"Okay. What about Rachel? She'll more than happily help you."

"Grams, why are you name all of the psychos in the family?"

"Maybe because they're the ones most worried about you doing what you do when it comes to Jamie. No one's gotten hurt, have they?"

"Nope."

"Jessie du Bois! Don't you be lying to me! I can hear it in your voice."

Jessie smiled both at her Grams's reaction and the fact that she found a clipboard collecting dust. It wasn't much but she could use it as a weapon. Now if she found something pointy like a pen she was good to go. "Fine," she admitted while wiping her dusty hand on her pants. "There might've been a few incidents but I have them under control." She glanced around the room with a doubtful look. "Besides, I had eyes on Jamie before losing him. Thought you might like to know."

A sigh came from Grams that Jessie could easily imagine the woman doing the sign of the cross.

Reaching further into the cabinet, Jessie was hallway inside when she noticed something against the board. Releasing her hold over the clipboard, she traced the line and smiled when it was metal she was feeling instead of wood. Her fingers ran over the metal until she felt a latch. With a flick of a finger, the tiny door swung open and revealed a bunch of wires.

"Now that you know your grandson's alive and well until I get my hands on him, is Michael at the party? I think I might need his electrical expertise."

Jessie placed the call on speaker while lying flat on her stomach so she could get some light. "Yo, Jessie," answered her cousin. "I hear you got yourself in trouble."

"Is Grams already spreading the word?"

"Just to our mad dogs. You know how she gets over her grandbabies. Now what can I help you out with? You're not thinking about splicing cables again, are you?"

"That was one time!" And the last considering the outcome. "I'm looking at a power box with a bunch of cables and I'm wondering which one I jerk out to take the lights out?"

"You in holding?"

Jessie tossed her head to the side in silent agreement. "Sort of. So which one do I pull? I really don't want to get electrocuted."

"Fine. How many wires do you have? If they're colored, that'll make your job a whole lot better."

With what little light Jessie had, she carefully tugged each wire to make sure she wasn't double counting any. Turned out this little power box had a total of twelve wires in it. Too bad none of them were separate by colors. Each and every wire was a dull black color and Jessie had no clue what they were hooked up to. She wasn't a real fan of have electrify coursing through her body.

That dare she did during the family reunion when she was fourteen still haunted her.

"Uh, they're all black. Now what?"

Michael sighed on the other end. "Please tell me you know what you're looking at."

"Hey, I got a degree in singing! If I knew what I was looking for, I wouldn't be calling you right now, would I? You know what, screw this! If I meet God, then I'm meeting Him."

"Hold up, Jessie! You might get that if you do what I think you're going to do."

Jessie took a fistful of the wires. "Wish me luck, cousin."

"Wait! Just describe what—"

A sound came from the door.

Peeking over her shoulder, Jessie noticed how the doorknob began to jiggle the same time she heard voices outside. Jessie withdrew her hold and backed out on her knees. She could hear Michael hyperventilating in her ear so she could her cousin to take a breather now that she was away from the wires. The noise outside grew louder that she knew company was coming.

Jessie picked up her clipboard and assured Michael that the class would have to resume later. Hearing she was away from anything what could kill her acted as a reliever because Michael released a giant sigh. The last thing he told her was to keep the killing to a minimum of three body bags before hanging up. Stuffing her phone back in her pocket, Jessie jogged over to the door and pressed her back up against the wall where the door wouldn't hit her. With the clipboard in her tight grip, she listened as the voices quieted down.

The doorknob clicked and twisted as a sign it was now unlocked and someone was about to step inside. Jessie inhaled and held her breath as the door began to open.

Jessie shrieked as she swung the clipboard.

There was a sharp crack when the clipboard splintered into a million pieces once making contact against the doorframe. As for the one who had opened the door in the first place, Jessie glanced around eye level before looking down at the floor. Sprawled on the floor with terrified eyes was Fhear with splinters in his black hair.

Seeing the guy on the floor was the last thing she saw because her face was then planted up against the wall. Her arm was twisted behind her back and she could feel a heavy body pressed up against hers. Even in this new position, she could still see Fhear on the floor in his petrified state. Then again, she swung that clipboard pretty hard considering it was now in a million pieces. Anything in its path would've been obliterated if it made contact.

"Fhear, man! Are you okay?"

Chilly Pepper held out his hand for his friend to take. Fhear graciously took it and stood on wobbly legs. Jessie saw that there was a crowd outside because more than two pair of eyes lingered on the broken clipboard laying on the ground.

"That was one hell of a swing."

Jessie felt the hairs all over her body stand straight up. She had only met them but she already remembered the voices of the rougarous and immediately recognized the man's voice behind her. Knowing that a damn rougarou had his hands on her brought terror to her like never before.

"Dhusk! You said the room was clear!" shouted Fhear.

"It was. I swear I checked it," said the person Fhear was talking to.

"Well, it wasn't. Your lack of thoroughness nearly costed me my head!"

"Hey, you're awfully quiet. Out of moves?"

The sudden question had Jessie swallowing the clump in her throat. If this was some ordinary guy, she would've pulled a move on him twenty seconds ago. Hell, she would've taken on whoever was outside just to break out. But so much crap was happening and Fate just decided to throw in the very monsters Grams used to tell her when she was a child. Out of the traditional horror stories the elderly would tell the young, the only story Grams used against Jessie for her to do her chores was of the rougarou.

Grams and her torment was the very reason why Jessie always gave dogs the skink eye.

"Why?" she said with her voice not wavering. "You plan on standing on your own two feet when I'm done with you?"

A deep growl came from behind, causing shivers dancing up and down her neck.

"Easy, Ahnger. My dad said he wanted to see her in one piece."

This Ahnger fellow made a huffing sound like a dog would do and released Jessie. Glancing past the blob of hair, she saw the giant glare down at her with dilated pupils and sharp teeth. Even his eyes were a mix of black and dark gold if that was even possible. The black receded the same time his teeth returned to normal as he stepped back.

Now that Jessie had some room to move around, she took her eyes off the rougarou to check out her opponents. Besides Fhear, Chilly Pepper, and the normal guy who was part of Fhear's party, she instantly recognized Tatts and the model looking guy from the restaurant. This was her second encounter with the rougarou and the other guy with the silver eyes who lingered in the back.

It was the guy with the wickedly long black hair who nodded down the hall as if he were giving orders. Jessie's eyes must've been playing with her because she swore she thought his eyes shifted from silver to white before returning to silver.

The rougarou gave her a hard push so she stumbled in the hallway with no grace. Forgetting that the beast of her greatest nightmares just gave her the boot, she noticed how everyone watched her like they needed to restrain her. Jessie took in her situation and figured right now she needed to play nice. She had no clue where she was or who these people really were. And if she knew any better, there had to be more of them someplace close by.

Okay, these giants were definitely in something fishy considering Silver Eyes there had a sword strapped to his waist while everyone besides Fhear looked like warriors. Someone who thought he was samurai, two rougarous, and the others who seemed like they were ready for war were in close proximity with the high possibility of more lurking around.

Hell, Jessie needed to come up with a strategy if she planned on escaping the first chance she got.

"Move," snapped the rougarou.

Before he could give her another encouraging push, Jessie snarled as she marched forward with Silver Eyes in the lead. Tatts and Model Boy flanked her on the sides with Chilly Pepper and the one named Dhusk with the rougarou behind her. Fhear was ahead of Silver Eyes and he appeared stressed of the situation they were in.

Going down a long hallway and up a pair stairs leading to a door, finding the other side leading to a fancy foyer blew Jessie's mind away. With one glance around, she immediately knew she was in the middle of some giant mansion. Hell, where in the world did those assholes drive her to?

The slightest thought of this entire scenario being turf war with strange characters went out the window when three young boys came running by. Their party must've been a spectacle because they paused in their game of chase. Having been born in a family comprised of twins in each generation, Jessie was a bit shocked to see that the boys were actually triplets. All of them sporting wild black hair, they stared at her with wide brown with such curiosity.

Soon Jessie noticed the triplets weren't the only kids around the place. Turned out there were families in the place because she finally noticed the crowd.

Sitting up the grand staircase were blond twins staring down with matching silver eyes which were identical to Silver Eyes. Another girl with brown curls and red eyes sat a step under the twins with another girl who had short black hair and blue eyes. Walking out a pair of doors from another room were two girls who appeared Jessie's age. One had hair just like Chilly Pepper with gold eyes and the other one had her blond hair pulled back in a ponytail wither her bangs cut right over her dark gold eyes. They stopped chattering when they saw Jessie and the giants.

Voices came from every direction and more people appeared out of nowhere. Jessie identified the ones she ran across earlier and began linking them to the kids and young ones around the place.

The giant with the giant scar came to view with the man Jessie knew was his twin. Turned out the girl with the cool hair was the scarred one's daughter because he was the one she approached like a daughter would. Approaching the twins and standing behind them was a man who had an interesting tattoo running up his arm all the way up to his right eye and a woman with short black hair with icy blue eyes. Besides the cool designs, he also wore a bronze choker with three garnet gemstone embedded in it. Jessie quickly spotted the matching arm ring with a sunburst gemstone.

Appearing at the top of the staircase was another blond who had matching red eyes like the girl sitting on the stairs. Marching up behind the blond was another girl, her green eyes narrowed under her black hair. The blond glanced back at the other girl with a nasty look before making her way down. She paused to stand above the little girl who no doubt was her younger sister. The twins glanced at one another as if they were silently communicating before standing up and hopping around the two younger girls and stopping near Jessie group. They looked up at Silver Eyes who gave the girls a reassuring smile which they returned back to their father.

It didn't take long when those Jessie never met appeared out of the corners. She was still able to pinpoint who belong to who since the families shared similar traits. As she took in how many people were in the mansion, Jessie realized the situation she was in. There were so many people that escape would be difficult.

Jessie would've loved to stand around and see who would be her future opponents if it wasn't for Silver Eyes telling them to head over to where a giant pair of doors was opened. The men who weren't part of the group heard Silver Eyes and started making their way to the room as well. When the triplets ran over to the room, no one stopped them so everyone who was in the foyer started making their way over.

Guess they would count for witnesses if things didn't go Jessie's way.

Not wanting to be pushed again by the rougarou, Jessie snorted as she played follow-the-leader into the giant study full of people. Identifying the families became easy because they were all in their little groups spread over in the room. What stood out the most was the man wearing shades standing behind the desk across from her. Another man who fit the normal category stood next to him, watching Jessie like everyone else.

A sigh came from ahead and Jessie saw it was Fhear who looked like he really didn't want to do this.

"Father, we brought Jessie."

Jessie watched as the one wearing shades nod before sitting. So he was Fhear's old man. Without the shades, Jessie could see the resemblance. And since there was a woman standing nearby, she could see the similarities between son and mother.

The very second she felt a hand make contact with her shoulder, Jessie completely forgot there was a rougarou behind her. She didn't like being touched and it was getting annoying. No longer caring that she was completely surrounded, it was no surprise when Jessie spun around and glared at the rougarou.

"Fucking touch me again and I'll rip your damn hand off!"

It was Chilly Pepper and Dhusk who kept the rougarou away from Jessie. While the two were busy, she covered her reaction when the rougarou's eyes shifted colors again.

"Now I see why all of you have been having trouble with her."

Jessie turned around to see Fhear's dad taking a seat and rubbing his eyes under the shades. By the time she looked behind her, the rougarou growled once before leaving their group and headed over to the woman with long white hair and bright gold eyes. She placed her hand on the rougarou's arm and gave him a warm smile which seemed to calm him. Behind the pair was Snow Globe and who apparently was his twin.

From the way it felt, it was almost like Jessie never left home.

Silver Eyes stayed by Jessie's side as did Model Boy. Fhear approached his father while Tatts took his place next to who Jessie assumed was his woman. None of them held her attention so she watched as Fhear stepped around the desk and took his place behind his father. She didn't know if she was reading too much into it, but it looked like Fhear was reluctant in taking his spot.

Something about everyone gave Jessie a vibe and it was the supernatural vibe. It wasn't the two rougarous who gave it away even though it should have. There was also the fact that Fhear's father was sitting in a damn throne.

The doors behind her swung open and closed just as fast. Taking a peek behind, Jessie noticed a man with a crazy dye job and multiple piercings take one look at her before taking a seat on a couch. Okay, this guy's presence definitely didn't feel human so this whole scenario was no way human related.

"So you must be Jessie du Bois," said Fhear's father.

"Yeah, so what?" she snapped.

She noticed how everyone in the room stiffened as if she insulted them as well.

"I really can't deal with this attitude," he mumbled to himself. "Do you think we can have a decent conversation without your rude behavior?"

"Can you teach a dog old tricks?" Jessie countered.

"How about we see?"

Jessie stood straight when she heard the woman rougarou speak from across the room. Turning her gaze over in her direction, Jessie saw as the woman watched her with black eyes. She could actually feel the woman challenging her to keep this up.

"Easy, Victoria," the man in charge said. As the man removed his shades so he could get more room to rub his eyes, Jessie caught sight of his eyes and was impressed on how good his hearing was now that she knew he was blind. "Do you have the slightest idea of the situation you're in?" he said to her.

"Let me see. Since the moment I arrived in this city, I've been living in my rental which someone's paying for, looking for my twin with little success, received multiple suggestions and threats to leave this place by people in this very room, a bunch of assholes who smell like shit who're tied to my brother, hitting one of your boys with my car when they tried to murder him, and now I'm completely surrounded by people who probably want to see me dead than alive as of this moment. Am I missing anything?"

Jessie was so not making friends because those who she hinted at were staring daggers at her with the full intent on slaughtering her.

Apparently not everyone wanted to see her corpse because Fhear started whispering something to his father while Dhusk and Chilly Pepper who were no longer part of Jessie party were trying to calm the others. Snow Globe wasn't working as hard as the others but he was doing his part of defusing the problem.

"Out of everything that has happened to you, haven't you figured the trouble you've landed into?" asked Fhear's father.

"How should I considering you have two rou—"

A mighty growl came from a specific corner.

"I mean, two interesting people in your inner ring," Jessie said as a cover up.

The growl didn't go unnoticed because some attention was taken off of Jessie and on the rougarou who was named Victoria. Gulping, she looked over and found the rougarou lounging on a sofa and was watching her with a steady gaze.

" _Mahmen_ , what is it?" asked one of the twins.

Before anything could be said, the connections snapped into place so fast that Jessie surprised herself by not passing out. Whatever _mahmen_ was clearly meant mother so the twins belonged to the rougarou. As for Snow Globe and his twin, they were standing behind the other rougarou so they definitely had to be his sons.

There weren't just two rougarous. Jessie was so shocked by the realization that she didn't realize it when she shouted out loud, "You have six rougarous!"

Laughter broke out from the mixed colored hair guy like what she said was a joke. As for the woman rougarou, she blinked once before jumping to her feet with fangs and claws showing all out.

Jessie snapped into action with every intention to run when Silver Eyes magically appeared in front of the rougarou. Before he could open his mouth, the rougarou started shouting and snarling in French that Jessie got a colorful picture on what she was going to do to her. Assuming Silver Eyes was her man, it looked like he had no idea what she was shouting but kept his position in front of her.

"This is pure gold," laughed the dye guy. "And a little FYI, they're not your swamp werewolves, girlie."

She looked over at the bastard. "Eh?"

"Nope. No rougarous here."

Whatever tension that was in the room evaporated because everyone but the woman who wasn't a rougarou started laughing as well. The laughter was so unexpected that Jessie felt her cheeks burn bright red. With the sad joke being passes around, Jessie had no choice but to turn her complete focus on the guy who embarrassed her. "But they turned into wolves," she said firmly. "If they're not rougarous, then what are they? And what the hell are you guys anyway? I know for a fact that none of you are human."

The guy glanced over at Fhear's father who was still rubbing his eyes and waved his hand. With a smile, the guy looked back at Jessie. "All I can tell is that the lady trying to get past her _hellren_ so she can rip your throat out with her teeth is not a rougarou. And while we're at it, neither is Ahnger or both set of twins."

"But—"

"It's a curse thing," shouted a copy of the one named Ahnger. How many twins were in this place?

"Curse?" Another second ticked by in Jessie head which gave the laughing stock enough time to calm down. Once it seemed Jessie managed to miss a very huge bullet, another idea popped in her head and she found herself completely glaring at Fhear. The guy flinched under her hard gaze. "Oh, not psychic are we? You and your weird friends and family are just cursed? Don't tell me you messed with a fucking Ouija board or something? There is so much I can take and evil spirits placing curses on people takes the cake!"

If there were crickets in the room, they would surely be playing. Finishing her supernatural rant, everyone in the room was completely quiet.

"Whoa. You really are open minded to the supernatural."

Since Fhear's father was now speaking, it seemed right to look at him even though he couldn't see her. Maybe the guy could clear things for Jessie because her mind was about to explode.

"Who here is in agreement in telling her?" he asked.

"Agreed," all of those around Jessie said in unison.

Fhear's father nodded back to Fhear as a sign that his son was the one to lay down the news. Fhear sighed and ran his hand through his hair before looking up at Jessie.

"Yeah, Jessie. I don't know how to tell you this so I'm just going to be straight with you. Majority of these people in this very room are vampires."

Jessie's mind went blank. Cocking her head to the side, she looked over the room and found some people smiling at her to reveal two sharp fangs under their lips. As for the ones who weren't showing off their pearly whites, they probably didn't have matching fangs.

"Uh, vampires?"

"Yeah," Fhear said.

Finishing her assessment, Jessie looked back at Fhear.

She then rolled her head back and sighed. "Great, vampires. Why didn't you say so?"

It was Fhear's turn to go mute. In fact, Jessie heard some people drop their jaws from how easily she accepted the truth.

"You're not freaking out? Or, you know, thing we're lying?"

Jessie pointed over at Victoria and Ahnger. "Her and him? Big time. The vampire thing, not really. Actually, it kind of explains a couple of things so I know you're not lying." Now she pointed at the one who told her that rougarous weren't real. "I'm just trying to figure out what he is."

Fhear didn't get a chance to speak up because the guy dramatically sighed and fanned himself. "Well, since you've easily accepted the facts, I can go ahead and say I'm a fallen angel. Cool, huh?"

Realizing that she was standing all alone, Jessie scooted far away from the fallen angel until she was standing near Model Boy and his lady. She then surprised everyone by doing the sign of the cross.

"Really?" whined the guy. "You freaked out about those two and now I scare you? You're really messed up."

"Hey, I might've slept through most of Sunday school but I know a thing or two about angels who fell from Heaven." Jessie moaned when she remembered something very important to herself. "And I've yet to go to church for the month. I think God is purposely punishing me."

"Alright, alright," said Fhear's father. "Clearly you believe my son on what we are. Now that you know, you must understand the situation you're in."

"Oh, great. There's more than vampires, people turning into wolves, and a fallen angel whose acting like he's on vacation?"

The fallen angel appeared insulted and waved her off.

"You know those people you've been putting a hurt on? Well, your brother is part of what we call the _Lessing Society_. They're our race's enemy and we've been at war with them for centuries. Those you see before you are part of the Black Dagger Brotherhood." There was a momentary pause where those who were a part of this great Brotherhood waved their hands. "Before you came to our city, we found evidence that your brother has been using his skills in keeping our enemy's intentions hidden for a complete year. Our goal was to capture him and get information. Now because of you, not only do the _lessers_ know that we're looking for him, you let your brother slip through our fingers. Because of this, most likely we won't be able to lay eyes on him again."

Figuring the pun was unintended, Jessie digested what Fhear's father was telling her. This definitely explained why Fhear and the others were so insistent on her departure. They went so far as to using what was probably a vampire trick on her.

Now the picture was much bigger and Jessie found herself a whole lot smaller in this strange world. All she thought when arriving in Caldwell was searching for Jamie and smashing some skulls if idiots got in her way. Her old plan went exactly as planned that she didn't know about the silent war she walked right into. With this new information, Jessie was already thinking of a new battle strategy.

"Fine," she said out loud. "Vampires and strange people called _lessers_ are in a giant war. If I had known about this earlier, things could've gone more smoothly. I could be out on the streets going after the bastards and picking them off one by one with a plan based off of this information."

"I don't think she understands what we're talking about," said the guy standing across to the Fhear.

"Yes, I do. I understand my brother got mixed up in your war and that a bunch of _lessers_ are running around. Not only do I have a decent idea on where to find them, now I know they're not completely human so I don't have to hold back."

"Jessie, are you sure you understand?" asked Fhear.

"Look," she snapped. "I don't care about this whole war thing or the fact that you guys are vampires. My brother is on the wrong team and I need to find him so I can pull him out of battle. Once I find him, he won't be your problem because he's coming with me."

It was Tatts turn to speak out. He must've been respected in the group because it seemed like he was speaking for those who were silent.

"You've already caused us enough trouble," he said. "And do you honestly think we're going to let you walk out of here?"

"I don't know," Jessie shot back. "You already tried your voodoo trick on me and it didn't work. Best thing to do is let me finish what I started."

"V's right," Fhear's dad said. "You're human. Humans who get caught up in our war usually end up dead. And since you know too much about us, we simply can't allow you to leave."

This night was becoming the longest one in history and Jessie was ready for it to end.

"Oh, I get it. Right now I'm in the kill-or-don't-kill game. Then let me tell you this. If you decide to kill me to keep your stupid secret, I'm going to haunt this place and every single one of you that you'll regret this day."

There was another silent pause.

"I am very tired," she explained. "But believe me about poltergeisting the hell out of this place. I'm pretty sure my soul won't leave here until I get my brother on the next plane to New Awlins."

Multiple grumbles came from all around. Jessie must've made a name for herself amongst the people if they were reacting in such a fashion. It didn't bother her if they didn't believe the whole haunting thing but they probably knew about her dedication in finding Jamie. They just loaded her on ammo in finding him.

Fhear bent down so he and his father could discuss something in private. While the two spoke in hushed voices, Jessie patiently waited for the verdict. If they didn't kill her, that was good for her. It just meant she had a better chance of getting free and finding Jamie. Her escape would have to be a carefully thought out plan since no one seemed comfortable about her knowing about them.

The two up front must've came to agreement because Fhear slapped his hand over his eyes and dragged his hand down his face. His father stood up and so did those who had been sitting down. Well, those except for the fallen angel. He continued sitting as if this conversation no longer addressed him.

"It's true we tried to wipe your memory and send you on your way back home. But since you've been here too long, our ability won't have any effect so it'll be a waste of time. As we've said, we can't let you leave and I don't think dying is part of your plan."

Fhear's father didn't have to give her the rest of the news. In fact, a mix of groans and sighs from all around which meant they knew what was coming around the corner. At least she knew she wasn't about to be killed on what seemed like a really old rug.

"So what? I'm under house arrest or something?"

"You could say that."

Jessie crossed her arms and sighed. "Fine. But I'll be nice and say your little declaration won't be easy. My brother is out there being manipulated by those bastard and I won't sit around here while you guys try capture him for information. I came for him and I will do whatever it takes in getting to him first."

No longer fearing her situation, Jessie looked every soul in the eye so they could see what she said was true. Not caring for the stupid prediction her Grams read for her, there was no way in hell she was leaving Jamie in the hands of the Brotherhood or the _Lessing Society_. It was her job to protect her brother and she would do anything to protect him.

She received a few nods of acknowledgment. The vampires already figured she would figure a way in finding Jamie even in her new situation. It was just that right now Jessie was under their roof which meant they could keep an eye on her. A potential enemy under constant surveillance so they didn't have to worry about confronting her on the field.

Jessie would do her best to work around this stupid declaration in order to find Jamie. Sure, she never expected to find out that supernatural creatures existed and that Jamie was mixed up with them. With the shock done and other with, Jessie now knew what she had to do and she wasn't going to stop until she escaped from this place and was back in her apartment in New Awlins with the knowledge that Jamie was back home where he belonged.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

Fhear rolled around in his bed as the shutters opened. Staring out the window, he released a tired sigh since he didn't sleep well during the day. His body was slightly sore considering what happened right after the interesting conversation with Jessie. It was slightly funny how she was afraid of Lassiter more than Ahnger and Victoria now that she knew they weren't what she called rougarous. Lassiter gave a brief definition of what the myth was but Fhear looked up the creature and realized why the fallen had too much fun with Jessie's reaction. Now that she knew the vampire and human weren't wolf monsters, her eyes stayed glued on the fallen as if something biblical was about to happen.

Funny how it was Jessie and her temper which matched something biblical.

Taking the news that majority of those in the mansion were vampires so easily, Jessie was back to being bold on finding her brother. And for the second time that night, it was like Fhear was appointed the task of taking her blows first while the others stayed out of harm's way. He narrowly dodged the clipboard which could've split his skull in half. What Fhear didn't know was that he would've taken the head injury instead of the car incident.

Since it was clear that Jessie would be a somewhat temporary guest, no one had any objection of her retrieving her items from her car. However, no one mentioned that they would be checking her belongings for anything suspicious. Besides the candy wrappers and a few stray socks on the floor, the only thing Fhear remembered the most was a ballistic Jessie who finally saw the full damage of her rental and when her items were being searched. She had barely finished ranting over the bullet holes when Tohr and John began to see what was in the vehicle. Fhear intended to keep Jessie from killing anyone and received a kick square in the stomach for interfering.

Jessie was apparently prone to attacking first and asking questions later. During the sudden assault, the prince found out she liked using her legs more than her fists when it came to inflicting pain. Too bad he found that out the hard way because he still had a bruise on his skin. Placing a hand over the bruise, the pain was already gone so he couldn't feel it anymore.

Sitting up and rubbing the back of his neck, Fhear continued to think about the series of events that happened before morning. Jessie made more enemies when she pulled that stunt of injuring him. Tohrment was ready to start a fight with Jessie if Fhear hadn't told the male he was fine. After assuring the Brother with a little white lie, the two managed to get through the inspection with Jessie fuming in the corner and Fhear catching his breath not far away. He had been a fool in thinking Jessie would let the two walk away unscathed after they were finished going through the car. Once Tohr determined everything in the car wasn't dangerous, he and John had to dodge flying wrenches which were a courtesy from Jessie.

Fhear wondered if the human needed therapy or something.

The prince waited for Jessie to cool down and collet her bags since she wouldn't be camping out in the car for the day. Besides, the garage would've been a good opportunity for her to escape even though the mansion was monitored twenty-four seven. Vishous told Fhear about Jessie's phone call before he went to sleep about her and her crazy cousins. If Fhear hadn't opened the door, they surely would've experienced a power outage thanks to Jessie's recklessness. Now that they knew her family were willing to help her in finding Jamie, it was best to keep her away from any form of exits for her to use.

It seemed he and Jessie were on neutral grounds because she apologized for her kick as he gave her a brief tour to the room she would be borrowing. He wasn't surprised that she had a couple of questions. One was for a clarification of Ahnger, Victoria, and their families. At the time, Fhear was still in the dark about rougarous but was able to explain about the curse placed on the families and it being the result of the two turning into wolves. He then explained that Ahnger and Victoria's children didn't have the ability to turn into the wolves for they along with Mehrcy and Sohrrow were the final hosts of the curse. Jessie was really open-minded about the supernatural because she nodded along as a sign she understood. Fhear was surprised that Jessie didn't ask him many vampire questions. It was like she was totally used to vampires or something. One topic she seemed to linger on was Lassiter and the fact that he was a fallen angel. From how she was trying to get as much information out of Fhear, the prince had a feeling she was going to keep Lassiter at a distance.

Their Q&A came to an end when they arrived to her room. And just like that, Jessie literally slammed the door on his face without so much as a thank you.

While everyone was too busy going over what to do the next night, it was the perfect opportunity for Fhear to meet up with Dhusk and Ahgony. Retelling Hhavoc's behavior, the three were all in agreement that they should tell the others about the male and his ability. They had a right to hope that someone might have an idea on how to help Hhavoc. In fact, they were so close in telling when Hhavoc showed up. He told the males that he heard them even though he was on the other side of the mansion and made them swear for the hundredth time not to rat him out. The only thing different was that the male had the nerve to reveal his seals when they began to argue.

Fhear wondered how he was going to deal with two wild cards at the same time.

Getting dressed for First Meal, the routine felt so normal that Fhear was out in the hallway making his way to the staircase when he remembered Jessie. Placing his hand over the healing bruise, the prince felt like he aged ten years in ten seconds as he changed his course and headed over to the room. Standing in front of the door and knocking, Fhear waited and knocked again in hopes of Jessie answering. When nothing happened, he grunted while opening the door a bit.

The shutters were open so he was able to see a bit. On the floor was an open suitcase and a bag wide open. Some clothes were scattered around the base of the bed like someone tossed them without a care in the world. As for the bed, Fhear saw a human lump under the covers. He was amazed on how Jessie was still asleep. In fact, he was surprised that the human was a sleep at all. Surely Jessie would've been awake when the afternoon came rolling around.

"Jessie?" he called.

When the lump didn't move, Fhear called out her name with the same result. Figuring she would be too tired to do anything, the prince left the door wide open as he walked in and approached the bed. He was close enough so he tried to wake her by calling out her name. Even when he was standing over her, Jessie refused to stir.

Fhear forgot about safety and gave Jessie a gentle push on the shoulder. His second push wasn't as kind because the lump just rolled to the movement. Feeling his own temper growing by the second, Fhear gave Jessie one strong push which had the force to knock someone down. However, as his hand made firm contact, something didn't feel right under his touch.

The back of a heel making contact to Fhear's eye answered that.

Stumbling back with a hand over his right eye, Fhear saw through his left eye that it wasn't Jessie's shoulder he touched but blue lace panties. With the blanket revealing the panties, the kick must've done something because Jessie's head popped up at the foot of the bed.

"Cheetos!" she shouted out loud.

Barely awake, Jessie laid there with the blanket over her head and her foot in the air. Moving her head from side to side, she blinked the sleep out of her eyes before staring at Fhear. Thanks to her blank stare, Fhear knew she was still half asleep which worked in her favor considering his cheeks were burning red and his hand continued to linger above her ass. He jerked his hand back as fast as he could while rubbing his eye which was probably bruised.

As if realizing she had company, one long yawn came from Jessie's mouth before she sat up on her knees. If Fhear hadn't been blushing before, his face blew up red when all he saw was a matching push-up bra.

"Oh, it's you."

Jessie brushed back the clump of hair over her face and rubbed her eyes while the male stood frozen in front of her. Getting rid of the last ounce of sleep out of her system, Jessie stared at Fhear as if expecting him to talk before looking at his state and down at herself. It must've clicked because she rolled her eyes while sliding off the bed. Landing in front of Fhear, she straightened her spine and gave him and playful push back.

"Not used to seeing lady without her makeup?"

Fhear knew she was teasing but he couldn't think straight when she was hardly wearing anything. Since all he could do was avert his eyes, that was exactly what he did. "Do you think you could put something on?" he suggested.

His suggestion was completely ignored because Jessie stepped past him and picked up the clock from the night stand. "Aww," she moaned, "it's already eight. I can't believe I missed breakfast. And I'm so hungry."

Placing the clock back where it belonged, Fhear might as well be a ghost because Jessie brushed past him and squatted next to her luggage. She rummaged through her clothes while muffling a couple of yawns. Having her back to him helped Fhear gather his composure because he was about to tell her to cover herself only to nearly lose it when Jessie reached for the back of her bra.

"Wait!"

His shout had her flinch, releasing her hold over the back. Using a hand to push her hair up she look at the prince, she did a series of blinks like she was confused over Fhear's reaction. "What's your problem?" she even asked.

Before Fhear could embarrass himself any further, Jessie did her own sigh and stood up. "Hey, if you can't be around a lady wearing nearly nothing, I think you should scat because I'm about to strip."

The seriousness on her face told Fhear she wasn't bluffing. His job was to wake her and she was definitely awake. Besides, Jessie once again turned her back to him and was resuming to taking off her bra. "First Meal is about to begin and I just wanted to wake you up in time!" he said in a rush. Before anything else could happen, Fhear left the room and slammed the door shut behind him so fast he wobbled where he stood.

It was too early in the night to deal with this craziness. Jessie was way too open about herself and didn't seem to care on what people thought about her. If this was her normal routine to starting the day, Fhear didn't know if he could take it. And what did she mean by lunch? In the human world, it was dinner time, not lunch.

Fhear hoped like hell he wouldn't be the only one to deal with her.

* * *

After taking a refreshing shower and putting her hair up in a bun, Jessie sorted her clothes into a clean pile and a dirty pile. She knew she should see everyone in the mansion as an enemy but they were an enemy with a washer somewhere. It would be best if she put her best foot forward and draw some attention away from her. Fhear didn't give her a tour of the place so she would have to find the wash room on her own. And once her clothes were back to smelling fresh instead of leftover food, she would put her plan in finding a way out to getting her hands on Jamie.

Thinking of the vampires had her giggling over Fhear. The guy definitely hadn't been around other women since he reacted the way he did. He might as well consider himself lucky because Jessie debated on removing her bra before going to bed. It wasn't comfortable sleeping with it constricting her and the idea was very appealing. The only thing keeping her from doing so was her tired brain and the need to get some sleep so Jessie shucked off her other clothes and went to sleep almost immediately.

Now that she refreshed, this would be the second time in her life she would do her best to seem warm and appealing. It was a whole lot easier when she was auditioning for her masters at LOYNO. All she had to do was prepare an opera piece in French since it was her choice of language along with another music piece which she did in English. In order to help her audition, Jessie spent some time with her cousins in order to help her find nice clothes to wear to the audition. She believed that would be the only time to make a good impression. Now here she was, under the same roof of a bunch of vampires, wondering what she packed that would make her look less menacing.

Her selection was pretty limited by the looks of her two piles. Having no choice but to wear a light grey mesh crop top and low waist jeans, Jessie decided to wear a black front-close bralette since it wouldn't draw too much attention than her blue selections and a matching pair of black crochet shortie panties. Putting everything on except for her top, it was time for Jessie to get to work on her hair. Beginning her routinely battle with the mess on her head, she gritted her teeth since tonight was the night it decided to be a pain in the ass. Jessie was close to tears by the time she tamed the wild mess. With it now nice and straight, Jessie slipped the top over her head and strapped her black cage sandals on which happened to have stiletto heels. She tapped the back of her heels on the floor for her feet to adjust and nodded once they were comfortable. Now that she was dressed with the right attitude, Jessie headed for the door and twisted the knob.

The door didn't move.

Jessie's attitude slowly swirled down the drain when she couldn't open the door no matter how hard she pulled. Bending down to make sure there wasn't a lock on it, no keyhole was revealed so someone must've done something on the other end. Pulling as hard as she could and kicking the hard door at the end, Jessie could hear her blood boil in her ears with each passing second. Someone was being funny by locking her in the room without anyone knowing. With Fhear out of the pot since he seemed like he wanted to play nice, there was a handful of people who most likely wanted revenge against her.

Giving the door one last dent, Jessie spun around the room to see what she could use to tear the doo down. Instead, an evil grin formed on her lips when she spotted the balcony on the other side of the giant window doors. Jessie bent down to unstrap her heels from her feet and strutted over to the doors. Giving the doors a strong push, her grin grew wider and wider with each step she took outside.

Two could play at this game.

* * *

"Uh-oh."

Hearing Hhavoc's little "uh-oh" alerted Fhear that something was wrong. Sure, the prince hadn't noticed Jessie at the table and First Meal started ten minutes ago. Then again, no one spoke of her absence. It seemed they were still getting used to a human who was willing to pick a fight against the strongest Brothers so this little break was a welcome.

Even though Fhear accepted the silence, he should've known the peace and quiet wouldn't last. Now he was beginning to wonder where she was. There was that whole pouting scene about her missing breakfast.

Fhear heard another "uh-oh" across the table and saw it was Esther who spoke. The female looked up like she heard something and turned to her father who was doing the same thing. The younger Adam and Rayna was too busy eating so they probably didn't sense the change in atmosphere with their _sympath_ abilities.

"Father, do you feel…"

"Sure do." Adam glanced around the table since everyone paused to look in the male's direction. "By chance, did someone anger Jessie just recently?"

Because Fhear was sitting right next to Hhavoc, he noticed how the male tapped his finger in a certain direction. Following the path down the table, Fhear groaned when he saw Qhuinn and Blaylock. Blay sported a sling since he broke his arm from getting hit by Jessie's car so he wasn't the culprit. As for Qhuinn who continued to eat like nothing was happening, the casual act was all it took to give him away.

The prince cleared his throat and eyed the male who continued to eat. When he cleared this throat a second time, he felt some eyes on him so he nodded in Qhuinn's direction. Even Blay was looking at his partner as if he suspected something. Soon everyone caught the idea because they stopped what they were doing and waited for the male to speak up.

"What are you guys looking at?" asked Qhuinn without looking up.

"Qhuinn, tell me you didn't do anything stupid?" Wrath said from the head of the table.

"Oh yeah," whispered Hhavoc to Fhear. The male's eyes were pretty clear tonight so it probably wasn't loud in his head for the time being. "She's really pissed."

Blay placed his good hand on Qhuinn's shoulder. "I told you I was okay with what happened. Don't tell me you tried to get even with that girl?"

The male finally dropped the act because he leaned back in his chair and looked at Blay. "I didn't do anything serious," he confessed.

"I think Jessie takes everything seriously," mumbled Ahgony since he was sitting on the other side of Fhear. Hhavoc heard the male speak because he nodded in agreement. On the far side of the table and sitting next to Paige, Dhusk had his hand in head like he couldn't believe what he just heard. The human patted her male like she understood what was going through his head.

"All I did was tie a curtain robe around the doorknob and tied the end to the neighboring door. The worst that can happen is her not getting out."

Fhear and Ahgony watched as Hhavoc tossed all his food on the table and threw his plate up in the air. The plate went flying in Qhuinn's direction with the full extent of hitting the Brother in the face. Instead, the plate was used as a shield because a shoe soared across the table and would've lodged the heel part in the male's head if it weren't for the plate. With the dish smashing into pieces, the shoe and parts of the plate fell on the table with the startled male on his feet.

"So it was you!"

Standing under the archway at the front of the room was Jessie.

Hair a tangled mess and murder visible in her eyes, Jessie stood there with dirty feet and a shoe in hand. Seeing how her attack didn't meet its mark, she turned that dangerous gaze over at Fhear who felt his entire body freeze. "Get in the way again and I'll fucking kill you," she growled. She then went back to staring daggers at Qhuinn. "Do you know how many feet it is to the next room? Twenty. Twenty fucking feet! And do you mind telling me how far of a drop it is from the second floor? It will really help as I pound your face in."

Now that she publicly threatened to kill a Brother for the second time and their prince for the first, those around the table didn't know what to do so they watched to see the events unfold. Fhear was glad to stay out of this because it looked like Jessie was really out for blood. Next to him, Hhavoc picked up the roll in front of him and ate it as if he hadn't just saved Qhuinn from a semi sharp weapon.

Qhuinn was shocked from the human's presence because his eyes switched from her to the shoe close to him. "How the hell did you get out?" he demanded.

"Oh, I don't know. I think it's called scaling a wall. Now, please. I really want to know the distance from the balcony to the ground. It's pretty windy outside so it would make me feel better to know the distance of the drop that could've snapped my neck. Then I'll snap your neck just for putting me through this."

Well, that explained why her feet were duty. Now Fhear wanted to know what kind of crazy she was about to do. Since the only person who could do that was sitting right next to him, he glanced down at Hhavoc who paused in eating his roll and was holding his hand up with all five fingers on display. He tucked this thumb when Qhuinn shrugged like he was trying to get out of the mess he made. The pinky bent down the same time a hissing sound came from Jessie. Ring finger vanished as Blay tried to get Qhuinn to apologize. Middle finger ticked as Qhuinn refused to settle the situation.

Index finger disappeared.

Jessie threw her remaining shoe which Qhuinn easily swatted out of the way. The male was then surprised as was everyone else when Jessie jumped on top of the table and ran straight at Qhuinn. Plates and food flying to the floor, Jessie leapt the rest of the way with all intents and purpose of killing the male who locked her in the room.

Fhear released the breath he was holding when Jessie went soaring the air and lingered there upside-down. No doubt that she scared Qhuinn because the male almost missed his chair when his legs gave out. It was completely silent from above because Jessie continued to blink like a clueless person. As for those who knew what was going on, eyes went in Paige's direction who gave a friendly smile.

"Eh? What the—what the hell?" screeched Jessie who was now clawing at the air to pull her back down.

"How long do you think you can hold her up there?" asked Wrath even though he couldn't see what was happening.

"I don't know," admitted Paige. "She's moving too much and this is the first time I've tried a person."

"So this is you?" Jessie snapped. Even in her situation, she glared through her hair at Fhear. He was starting to think he was the pillar of her anger. The more she glared at him, the more he feared she would take that anger on her instead of Qhuinn. "You! How can a person with telekinesis slip your mind? That's kind of important!"

"Whoa. She figured that one fast," mumbled Hhavoc as he worked on his roll.

Paige was right about Jessie moving too much because she continued to snatch at nothing since Qhuinn was under her. The male continued to look above him as if afraid she would fall on top of him.

"Qhuinn," Wrath said, "just apologize so we can end this predicament."

The male gave a low snarl and rolled his eyes. "Fine." He looked Jessie who took a momentary pause. "I'm sorry for locking you in your room. Good?"

Jessie spat in Qhuinn's face.

"In what universe do you think we're good?" she roared while Qhuinn fell to the ground from her sneak attack. "I should've hit you with my car instead of your boyfriend! Now you!" Jessie snapped at Paige. The poor girl flinched even though it was her who held Jessie captive. "Let me go so I can skin this bastard!"

Apparently Dhusk didn't like the way how Jessie was speaking to his female because he stood from his chair and glared at the human. "Careful on who you turn your fury on," he growled.

"Oh, fuck you! Now tell your girlfriend to release me this instant!"

"Uh, Dhusk. I can't—"

 _"_ _NOW!"_

Paige shrieked the same time she accidently sent Jessie soaring over the table.

Yeah, Fhear was the pillar to take Jessie's anger because she flew right into him.

Falling backwards and knocking over his chair, Fhear's world spun around in circles until his eyesight returned to normal. It only took him a few seconds to realize his head was between Jessie's legs. Her legs parted further away as she sat up and rubbed her head. When she looked down to see who was under her, it was only Fhear who blew up red like an apple. As for Jessie, she seemed more pissed than embarrassed.

"I blame you for this," she growled.

Not giving Fhear time to make a word, Jessie used his head for support because she placed her palm on his forehead and stood up. On her feet and spinning around, she was ready for another jumping act when Wrath told her to stop. Wiping his forehead and sitting up, Fhear wondered if not telling her he was a prince and that his father was the king of their race had been a bad idea.

The way how she looked at Wrath was a sign she was ready to attack anyone.

"Qhuinn apologized. Now let's forget about this."

As Jessie continued to keep her hostile gaze on his father, Fhear managed to stand and took a step back from the human. He glanced over at his friends who were keeping an eye on Jessie since she was right between them. Fhear figured it would be his duty to keep Jessie in her spot if she did anything stupid considering he was standing right behind her.

Jessie's left arm twitched.

Apparently the act hadn't been hers because her head tilted to the left to look down at her arm. Fhear followed her eyes and noticed something on her wrist. So Sam had been right about the birthmark because a lily rested right there for the world to see.

He watched as Jessie rubbed her arm as if to ease it of pain. To cover the action, she tossed her head so waves of brown and blue fell over her shoulders. Slightly less violent, Jessie snorted before kicking the fallen chair out of the urge to kick something.

"You ever try something like that again and you'll regret it," she said to Qhuinn.

It wasn't Wrath's wise words that had Jessie calling the truce but what Fhear guessed was a nerve reaction. That had to be the reason why her arm twitched without command. However, the more Fhear watched Jessie rub her arm, the more he thought it had to do with the Beauvilliers legend.

Something was wrong with Jamie and Jessie knew it.

Myths or not, Fhear always believed one twin could sense when the other was in trouble or hurt. There were a bunch of twins running around the place where he had seen the case happen a couple of times. Bayne and Hhavoc experienced the sensing of injury when they were children and Evelyn and Frédérique seemed to know when the other one was feeling even though they were together almost all the time.

Fhear didn't know if there was a difference between inherited gifts and a curses. If there was, it wasn't what was important. Right now, Jessie could sense something was wrong with her twin and it seemed to affect her. There was only one person in the room who knew more about this so-called gift and he didn't seem to be paying attention to Jessie. Fhear was going to have to ask Sam to go more in depth over the Beauvilliers gift since it seemed to be very important where Jessie was concerned.

Some way to start the night.


	20. Chapter 20

_HI :D Well, we're getting closer to the juicy parts in this story. However, I must inform you guys of future changes to come which will involve chapters being updated at a length of a time. The reason for this is because of a wonderful-yet distracting-idea my sister put in my head. You see, she loved Jessie so much that she encouraged me to use the same character and create a whole new world. You know what that means? While I try to continue with these updates, I'm going to be starting a series in which Jessie will be a part of. Yay -_- Now this will be a side project so it's too soon for me to decide if I'll post it here or on Wattpad. It's just that this new story is stuck in my head and I have to write it since it's driving me crazy. So...yeah. Just wanted to let you guys know if you start wondering about the time gaps._

* * *

Chapter Twenty

"Sam?"

The male looked up at Fhear who was making his way over to him. Around Sam were his sons who noticed the prince as well. The three of them smiled as if a game was about to happen since they loved playing games. They were surely disappointed when Fhear told them he wanted to talk to their father. As if sensing this call was important, Sam suggested that the three go bug Frédérique.

With three cheers, the brothers took off to go mess with the poor girl.

First Meal ended some time ago with a peaceful outcome considering Jessie left after the truce was called. Fhear found it a bit funny how she then took the remaining anger in her system against the _doggen_. From what he heard, Jessie was looking for the washroom to do her laundry. It was no surprise when the _doggen_ were adamant about them doing cleaning. Eventually, silence returned to the mansion which everyone welcomed.

Fhear patiently waited through the meeting while trying to find any clues in La Chanson de Lily which might explain what was going on with Jessie. All he could come up with was the typical twin theory thing on how one could sense when the other was hurt. Anyone would think he was reading too much into it. Fhear would've given up on the incident if it weren't for how much he knew Jessie.

Now that he had Sam for a limited amount of time, Fhear went through his head on how he was going to ask the male. He had enough time so he figured it would be a good idea and just say what he wanted to know.

"La Chanson de Lily."

"Yeah, what about it?"

"You said the story was based of real people. Along with this gift Týr gave the twins, was there something else that came along with it?"

Sam folded his arms and tipped his head to the side. "What do you mean? The gift was for twins to switch out pain. It's plain and simple."

"Yeah, I know that. But how does that work? Do the twins have to do something so they can swap the pain? And is there a way for them to know when the time is right to do so?"

"Why the sudden interest?"

Fhear raked his hand through his hair. "It's about Jessie." The prince glanced around the foyer and was glad to find it was just the two of them. Those who were on patrol tonight were getting ready while the others were preparing for classes. Tonight was one of those night Dhusk, Hhavoc, and Ahgony were forced to help so they would be busy until Last Meal. As for Sam, time was ticking by so Fhear tried to clarify. "I know there are popular myths about twins having some strange connection. I know certain pairs under this roof share these connections. It's just that something weird happen during First Meal."

"You mean besides Jessie being this close to killing Qhuinn?"

"Yeah. You see, I saw her rub her arm like it was hurting. It didn't look important so I can understand why you and everyone else overlooked it."

As if understanding the prince's concern, Sam tipped his head back like he was thinking. "Let me think." His eyes widened as if he realized something. Rolling his shoulder and popping his knuckles, something in Sam's look seemed old as time. "You said she acted as if she was hurt, right?"

"Pretty sure. I already know she wouldn't have given up the fight so easily like that. Something else had to cause it and I think it has to do with Jamie."

"Actually, now that I think about it, there is a time when descendants of Nithard and Notker know when it's time to switch pain. One might compare it to phantom pains. If one twin is hurting so much, the other will actually fell half a percentage of the inflicting pain. It is through this of connection of pain that the twin feeling it and not receiving must decide to switch spots."

So Fhear was right. Remembering what Paige told the Brotherhood on how the _lessers_ treated Jamie, there was no doubt the kid was abused to do his work. This connection had to be limited by distance because he had been doing the enemy's dirty work for a year. Something must've occurred over the time period because Jessie was in the city so the connection was back in persuasion.

Phantom pains weren't strangers around the Brotherhood. There were times when those out patrolling were injured to a point where they had to be hospitalized. With the lack of movement and being benched for a time period would make them feel things every once and a while. But from what Sam was telling him, this kind of feeling was a whole lot stronger. The desire to take another's pain and having phantom pains as an encouragement didn't sound fun.

All of those fights Fhear saw on YouTube came to mind. They all happened because Jamie had been physically hurt and resulted in Jessie coming to his rescue. Were all of these fights a result of the gift the Beauvilliers were born with? Did Jessie even know her childhood story was real?

"Where is she?" Sam asked.

"Uh, I think she's in the wash room. Why?"

Sam nodded to himself and turned in the direction to the room. "Well, I don't think you should be the one to describe the situation to her. You hardly know Týr's gift so you'll just mess things up."

He did make sense so Fhear couldn't argue.

Watching Sam head over to have a talk with Jessie, Fhear really hoped Jamie wasn't hurt. The prince never met the kid but knew how important he was to his sister. Jessie wasn't afraid to break bones when it came to her brother and his safety. If the _lessers_ were abusing him, they would have more than hell to pay.

* * *

With her feet propped up on the washing machine, Jessie displayed a balancing act by leaning on the back legs of the chair she was sitting in. She brought up her iPad and flipped through her music selection before settling on Question d'honneur by H Magnum. Turning up the volume until the rap was all she could hear, the rhythm under her feet sent a tingle over her body. Jessie grinned to herself while folding her arms behind her head and resting in the crook.

The mansion was damn huge. From what Jessie learned just by sight, there was more under the place than above ground. If she wanted to find a way out of the place, the smartest thing would be to wonder around and memorize certain areas. Jessie also needed to find where the security were housed. Surely someone here maintained the security of this place. Something had to move those shutters over every window.

Jessie brought her left arm up and resumed to rubbing it. Since the day she and Jamie split to go to college, she hadn't felt the urge to beat someone to death in a long time. The only time she felt this was whenever Jamie was stressed or hurt. Jessie could never describe the reason to protect her brother with extreme violence but was always came to the same sorry excuse she'd been using since she was six.

As of late, the feeling grew stronger with each passing day. It happened the night she found the first _lesser_ group. The night she put the hurt on the _lessers_ , she would always massage her body as if it was hurting. She would've chalked it up to the new bruises she received fighting if it weren't for the fact that the spots she would massage were bruise free.

With this old sensation returning with a vengeance and adding it on top of this new worlds she found herself in, Jessie was starting to miss home. Thinking of home made her wonder if Jamie thought of the same thing. Out of everything the two went through on their own during the missing year, Jessie and Jamie always had a spot in New Awlins and always will no matter what.

Since Jessie was so focused on massaging her arm and listening to her music, she barely noticed the extra presence until the vampire with the amazing tattoo job rounded the corner. Jessie kept her feet on the machine but removed one of her earbuds. The music was a little too loud in the other ear so she lowered the music.

"Can I help you?" she said in an annoyed voice.

The vampire rolled his eyes as if not caring for her annoyance. He then leaned against the same washing machine and brushed her feet off. Jessie lowered her feet so that they were pressed against the side. The vampire didn't seem to care so he didn't move her feet a second time.

"Should I address you by your legal last name or your mother's maiden name?" the vampire asked.

His tone had Jessie on full alert. "I don't think I deserve the right to Beauvillier," she answered honestly. Again, this answer was the result of the same excuse ruling her life. No matter how much Jessie wanted the name Beauvillier, her past prevented her from taking the name.

"Du Bois it is. You know how to make an entrance. I can safely say you made more enemies than friends."

"Yeah, well, who cares? It was that guy's fault. I was planning on putting a good front. It would've gone as planned if he hadn't interfered."

"Are you always this honest?"

Jessie shrugged as she used her legs to move her chair up and down. When the vampire didn't say anything, she took in his tattoo. Sure, there was another vampire who had a sick tattoo on the side of his face. It was just that this tattoo was totally huge and went all the way down to his fingers. If Jessie had to guess, she figured the tattoo continued under the vampire's shirt. She wondered how the guy could sit still for so long, especially since the tattoo continued up his face and ended under his right eye.

Something about the look in his eyes told Jessie the vampire was old. She wasn't going to deny her lack of vampire knowledge so she didn't know how long they could live.

"Beauvillier. Truth be told, it's been a long time since I've heard that name."

"Why? You know someone?"

The vampire kept a keen eye on her. "Tell me. By any chance do you know La Chanson de Lily?

Jessie stopped her balancing act. "Are you being funny?" she snapped.

"No," the vampire answered in a stern voice. "I want to know if you know the story. It'll make the explanation go a whole lot smoother."

Those old eyes told Jessie he wasn't bullshitting. He wanted to talk to her and it had to do with a story every Beauvillier was told. Besides the rougarou horror story, La Chanson de Lily was Jessie's favorite. She knew the story from cover to cover. Even when she gave the vampire a nod, the story replayed itself in her mind.

"Would you believe me if I told you the story was true?"

Supernatural was part of Jessie's life. However, there were things that she knew weren't real. Every part of her was completely honest when she said, "La Chanson de Lily is just a child's story. It's not real."

"And vampires aren't?"

She grunted while resuming her leg pushups. "Okay, you have me on that one. But you guys were able to prove you were vampires and I already had my theories. It's just that La Chanson de Lily is about twin brothers given a gift from a god. I do believe in higher beings but not gifts bestowed to humans."

The vampire raised his hand in front of him. Staring at his hand, he stood there for a second when red swirls appeared over his skin. The swirls soon floated from his finger to the air, twisting and turning into different forms.

Sparks fluttered when the swirls connected. Soon the swirls spun so fast they looked like flames. It was all too soon when the swirls dissipated in the air into nothingness. As for the swirls on the vampire's hand, they faded into his skin until they were completely gone. When Jessie thought the magic trick was over, those tattoos began to glow the same red color.

"Certain myths are real," the vampire said as the tattoos continued to glow. "I should know. Everyone calls me Sam for this life but I have lived close to the beginning of time. My real name is Spihrit and I was once a demigod. These tattoo represent the blood of my mother and of my old tribe." The vampire took a pause as his tattoos returned to their normal black color. "You see, gods exist and this story is very real. In fact, you and your ancestry is tied to it."

"What are you talking about?"

Jessie stared at a finger pointed straight at her face. "You're eyes," Sam said. "A bluish grey. Clearly a sign of your Frankish heritage. What you don't' know is that those eyes go all the way back to the twins, Nithard and Notker." The vampire looked at Jessie's left arm. "Tell me, why do you think your arm hurts?"

His question had Jessie pull her arms apart.

"La Chanson de Lily ends right after Týr gives Nithard and Notker the gift to swap places. I think you need to know the rest of the story."

"Let's say I believe you. Why should I listen?"

Sam gave a sharp nod to Jessie's aching arm. "Because what you're feeling has to do with your ancestor."

Feeling exposed, Jessie crossed her arms across her chest. She gave him a wave for him to continue before stuffing her hand back under her armpit.

"Nithard died not long after he and Notker received their gift. The younger twin was injured in battle so his older brother made the switch. Taking the fatal wound, Nithard died before the night was up. As for Notker, he lived until he died an old man. During his long life, he had many children who continued the bloodline. It was over time his descendants took up the name Beauvilliers. Along with the name, the Beauvillier bloodline always consisted of a set of twins being born with the lily birthmark."

Jessie restrained herself from touching her birthmark.

"You can't explain it but you know Jamie is in danger. Every Beauvillier is born with the sense of sensing when a twin is hurt. The reason why your arm hurt is because Jamie's arm is hurting twice as much. I'm going to assume your body has been going through more harm than usual ever since you arrived in Caldwell. All I'm going to say is that the longer you stay here, the more you'll feel your twin's pain."

"Listen, this sounds all fun and stuff. But your—"

"Now don't lie in saying you don't have the desire to save your brother of this pain."

In truth, that was exactly what Jessie felt like doing. Every time she felt the crawling pain over her skin, the more she wanted to know what was going on with Jamie. And deep in her soul, something kept calling for Jessie to do much more in helping her brother than fighting his battles. Something inside her yearned to take Jamie's pain away completely.

"What you're feeling right now is the effect of the gift you have inherited. You must've felt it your entire life and never thought much of it. True, myths about twins and their link is somewhat true. In your family's case, it's just a bond that tells them when it's time to switch spots and take the other's pain."

Something dark stirred inside Jessie. This bond Beauvilliers twins shared started making sense. All of those unanswered Beauvilliers deaths were coming to life.

Grams had been the one who told her grandchildren the story of La Chanson de Lily. It was the first story she told them. Now that Jessie thought about it, Grams once told her that the story was her also her first childhood story. Even today, her cousin told their kids La Chanson de Lily before anything else.

This connection never occurred to Jessie. However, the more Sam spoke of Nithard and Notker, the more things started making sense in her family.

"Tell me, what happens when twins switch places?"

"Well, the twin who decides to take the pain loses their birthmark. As for the one who is healed, theirs grow as a sign of being healed. Have you noticed something like this?"

Jessie looked away. "Fine," she said. "I believe you. Now how about you leave me alone?"

"Jessie, there's more—"

"Tell me later. Just scat. I have a busy schedule."

She kept her gaze low as a sign she wanted him to leave. Sam tried to talk but stopped when he saw she wasn't budging. Telling her to come look for him later, Jessie listened as the vampire left the washing room. Once the door closed, the washer stopped spinning as a sign it was done.

Jessie had difficulty swallowing as she reaching for her phone. Bringing up Grams's number, it took everything Jessie had to keep her feelings at bay. From the moment Sam told her about Beauvilliers having the desire to save their twin pain, something Jessie could never figure out made sense. She just needed someone to confirm it.

Pushing the button, Jessie waited for Grams to pick up.

"Hello?"

Hearing her Gram's voice made this a whole lot harder.

"Hey, Grams."

"Jessie! Dear, I was worried about you. Are you safe? Is everything okay there?"

"Yeah, yeah. Everything is fine."

Jessie's voice faltered so she knew Grams heard it. "Jessie? What's wrong? Are you really okay?"

Pulling the phone back, it turned out a tear fell down her cheek because Jessie wiped it away. Taking a steady breath, Jessie made sure she was prepared to ask her Grams a very important question.

"Grams, how did Aunt Adelais really die?"


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty One

Fhear ignored Vishous staring at him as he plunked every single book he could find on Bulgarian legends. In truth, there were only six extra books on the same shelf revolving around the country and its beliefs. What made up for the lack of literature was the fact that all six books were the size of boulders.

"And what exactly do you need these for?" asked the Brother.

Turning on his laptop and grabbing the first book which was labeled volume one in English, Fhear took a seat with a fresh notepad and a couple of pencils. "Aren't you slightly worried we have someone running around the city with the ability to inflict death if felt threatened?"

V sat down across from Fhear and removed his Red Sox cap. Tonight, it was the male's turn for guard duty which didn't sit well for either of them. Fhear intended to read up on the ale and aloviti men. True, the act would be difficult since the prince had zero knowledge of the Bulgarian language and there was a high possibility V wasn't in the mood of translating.

Thinking of Jessie's bloodline and the ala in Caldwell couldn't be a coincidence. A Beauvillier in the city was easy to explain since one twin was on the enemy's team. As for this human with a deadly gift given to her ancestors by a highly pissed goddess, Fhear wanted to know what he and the Brotherhood were dealing with. Sam had yet to share any useful information since he claimed the ala hadn't gained her full abilities.

Then again, there was a more than likely scenario where Fhear wouldn't be caught up with the ala. He would be sitting in on boring _princep_ meetings, try to establish a relationship with Claudya so the both of them wouldn't be miserable in the future, hope he could keep a very destructive human from doing anything stupid during her stay, and figure a way how to convince his friend to tell the others about his ability without the constant threat of unimaginable pain making its way to the table.

Fhear totally had a normal life.

Before the prince could begin his self-studies, a cell phone started buzzing. V reached into his pocket and pulled out the device. Fhear watched as the male grinned like he won the lottery or something. He quickly recognized the phone was the one they used to copy Jessie's cell. Since it was ringing in the male's hands, it meant Jessie had just placed a call and was waiting for someone to pick up.

It was too late for Fhear to tell V to put the phone away because the male already took the call. Having no choice but to stay quiet, Fhear watched the phone as if expecting it to do anything. The both listened to the ringing until the person Jessie called answered.

"Hello?" answered an elderly voice.

"Hey, Gram," Jessie said.

V muttered a sigh as if he was already bored with the conversation. As for Fhear, he smirked to himself while bringing up Google Translate. Guess the two of them would be listening in on a conversation between grandmother and grandchild. Fhear didn't mind. At least the conversation would keep Vishous from mocking him.

"Jessie! Dear, I was worried about you. Are you safe? Is everything okay there?"

"Yeah, yeah. Everything is fine."

Now that was a total lie. Then again, how was Jessie supposed to tell her grandmother that she was occupying a free room with a bunch of vampires inhabiting the household? There were still some giggles flying around the fact that Ahnger and Victoria were the only ones to strike fear in the human because of her previous assumptions. Some didn't understand how Lassiter freaked her out but Fhear assumed it was a religious thing.

"Jessie? What's wrong? Are you really okay?"

Now both of the males leaned over the table to listen on the call. Surely Jessie wouldn't admit over a distant conversation on her current predicament. Fhear knew she was too smart to do that.

"Grams, how did Aunt Adelais really die?"

Jessie's question wasn't what Fhear was expecting.

A long pause filled the other end until there was a tired sigh. "Now you ask," muttered Jessie's grandmother. "She got sick, Jessie. I don't know how much more I can tell you."

"Then how about you explain the strange deaths in the Beauvillier family? Or how about this? Can you explain how La Chanson de Lily is real?" Jessie snapped on her end.

This was starting to make sense to Fhear. The quick conversation he had with Sam must've caused this reaction. He didn't know what the male told Jessie so anything was possible. It was just that hearing the growing anger in her voice worried him. Something old and dark resided in Jessie's voice and it was something all too familiar to the prince.

It was the same way how he spoke to his father.

Again, the other end was quiet to a point where Fhear tapped the screen to make sure it was still on. V was leaning on his elbows to support his wait as he stared down at the device. Soon they heard the sound of a door closing as if the person closing it was seeking privacy. Another tired sigh came from the grandmother's end.

"How did you find out?"

"I met someone who knows the story. Is it true?"

"Jessie, my child. I hoped you, Jamie, and your cousins never found out about our family's past. But since you've asked, yes. La Chanson de Lily is the legacy every Beauvillier is born into. The gift placed on the twin brothers is real. It's just as real as the birthmark on your skin. I'm sorry you had to find out from a stranger."

When it was Jessie's turn to go silent, Fhear didn't know if he wanted to continue on eavesdropping. If V wanted to, the male had every right to leave the room and listen somewhere else. It wasn't like Fhear had anywhere to go for the time being. He would still be in the same chair, trying to read a book he didn't understand, and possibly end up calling it a night after making a dent in it.

Apparently V didn't get the memo because he stayed put. Fhear didn't have the strength to tell the male to get out so he was forced to listen. He wondered if this conversation could get any worse.

"So everyone else knows?" asked Jessie.

"Not everyone," answered her grandmother. "Some figure it out, others go on knowing the story is just a story. It's no longer the older generation's duty to tell the young ones. The Beauvillier family figured this was the best way to secure the family line long ago."

All of these pauses didn't sit well for Fhear. The more he listened, the more he felt like he was listening on something that shouldn't be heard by people like him. Jessie and her family were descendants of a twin who was given a gift by a god while his race was created by a goddess. Surely an invisible line existed between the two and eavesdropping was crossing it.

Fhear reached for the phone, receiving a slap on the hand from the older male. The prince gave V a look which told him to hang up. It was received by a raised eyebrow as a dare in trying to test the Brother.

"Did Mama know?"

So crossing the line.

V managed to put Fhear in a headlock when the prince lunged across the table to hang up. The end result was with Fhear's face flat on the desk with his arms behind his back. He didn't need to look to know Vishous was grinning like the bastard he was.

"Jessie, do you really want to know?"

"Grams, some crazy shit is going on in this damn city so I need something I can make sense out of. Did. She. Know?"

Another famous pause.

"Adelais did before your mother. It wasn't your aunt who got sick. Abrial did."

There were some futile attempts of pushing the Brother off which resulted with more pressure. Okay, Fhear understood that the male had an unfriendly encounter which resulted with Butch sporting a busted nose and a dare which had yet to go unanswered with Z. Fhear was wondering if Vishous wanted to listen for further information or to use against Jessie just to harm her pride.

"Abrial had stage four cancer. None of knew about it until it was too late. Your mother would've died if it weren't for her sister. Adelais realized the story was really and took Abrial's cancer. While Abrial recovered, Adelais died two days after the switch. That's why your mother never kept the name Beauvillier. She saw the ugly side of our family and didn't want her children to be a part of it."

Figuring he could live without the use of his arms, Fhear snapped his head back and made solid contact with V's nose. There was a sharp pain radiating in his arms from the movement that the prince swore he was this close in breaking them. Either way, the move worked because it got the Brother off his back. Fhear flexed his left hand and received multiple pinpricks riding over his skin. He sucked it up as he leaned over for the phone.

"Please don't—"

Whatever Jessie's grandmother was saying ended when Fhear finally hit the button.

"That wasn't necessary," he snapped at the male.

V snatched the phone back and placed it back in his pocket. "Personal or not, we need to listen in on all of her calls," the Brother answered back. "What if it was her brother who called? Would you tell me to hang up because it sounded personal? We need to gather as much information as possible so that means listening in on family secrets such as this."

Deep down, Fhear knew he couldn't argue with the male. Sam had yet to give them information so the Brotherhood were momentarily working in the dark when it revolved around the Beauvillier family. If there was some something they could learn from the family if they talked about Jamie, surely it would help them in locating him before the enemy moved him for the millionth time.

Fhear didn't like the fact that gathering such little information on their target involved the target's sister finding out the Beauvillier secret like this.

And finding out first by some stranger felt wrong in every way.

* * *

Jessie marched her way to the empty kitchen with her hip holding a basket full of clean clothes and eyes focused on her iPod. Her thumb scrolled through her music selection, names of artists and songs flying without a second thought. Not really caring on what she listened to next, she clicked on one song and began bobbing her head to the song Meurtre par strangulation by Maître Gims. Adjusting her hold over the basket, Jessie bumped the door to the kitchen open with the available side of her hip while turning up the music.

After the nice chat she had with Grams, turned out calling bloody murder and trying to strangle a vampire this morning was irrelevant compared to the bombshell she received not long ago. A vampire who claimed he was once a demigod told her that her family was the living embodiment of La Chanson de Lily. What made things more awesome was the fact that some Beauvilliers knew the truth of their heritage.

Now it explained why there were so many names on the family tomb.

Including her aunt.

Listening to the music while strolling around the giant kitchen, Jessie's mind wondered to the early days. All of those times she wanted to protect Jamie had always been because of what she had been told as a child. Ever since that day, her only goal was to keep her twin safe no matter what. Then there were the times whenever she had this sinking feeling that her brother was in trouble or hurt and she had to do something to stop it. True, she and her cousins would always laugh it off as being the stereotypical twin myth the whole world believed in. How funny to find out that the myth was a real thing for the Beauvilliers. Feeling your twin hurt and the urge to take away their pain was outstanding in both a good and a bad way.

Adelais must've felt Jessie's mother's pain when she discovered she had cancer. Jessie would've made the switch in a heartbeat just like her aunt if Jamie was in the same situation. All of those odd deaths engraved into the family tomb now made sense. For those who died strange deaths, it was because they took the pain of their siblings.

Jessie didn't like the fact that she had to find out from some stranger. However, now that she was aware of this old gift, the story she and the rest of her family on the Beauvillier side grew up on brought certain parts to light. Sensing when a twin was hurt was an everyday thing for Jessie and it was getting stronger the longer she remained in Caldwell. Having the urge to take Jamie's pain was something Jessie grew up with and easily handled by beating the shit out of those who harmed her brother. It was just that there was one tiny part of the story that had Jessie thinking of her stupid future.

Further along in La Chanson de Lily, it was believed that Notker breathed his last breath when Nithard took his place. The part could be easily over read as a quick switch in which Nithard took his twin's injuries and died from them. As for the way it was told to Jessie and the others, the Beauvillier really believed Notker died seconds before Nithard used the gift.

Jessie was going to find her new friend and ask if the ending she was told was real. If it was, that meant the gift could be used more than just switching pain.

Putting her family's legacy on hold, Jessie noticed she was alone in the kitchen which she was grateful for. This would give her time to think of a way how to get out of the giant mansion and finding Jamie. And while she was at it, she could use the time in finding something simple like sandwich meat.

First stop led her to the giant refrigerator. Popping it open to see what was inside, the first thing Jessie tossed on her fresh clothes were two beer bottles. She held a third one before placing it back. Snatching a fresh pack of turkey, a whole role of salami, some freshly sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, and a packet of cheese, Jessie started rummaging through the enormous pantry. The basket got a bit heavy so she used the shelves for support as she started tossing in the bread, an unopened back of Doritos, and half a box of Ding Dongs. Tossing the remaining sweets back on their shelf, Jessie spotted a can of cheese sitting right in front of her eyes.

Licking her lips, she snatched the can and popped the lid before opening his mouth wide open and squirting the cheese down her throat. With cheeks puff like a squirrel, Jessie spotted some Ritz crackers right next to where she put the can back. Opening the bag and shoving four crackers in her packed mouth, she munched and swallowed as much as she could. She licked her lips as she swallowed and took one more sweep of the pantry to see if she hadn't missed any more goodies.

Her stomach rumbled when her eyes spotted a box of Godiva chocolates high above her head. Immediately recognizing the box was the liquored chocolates, Jessie leapt up on her tiptoes as her free hand reached as far as possible. Her fingers brushed the smooth surface of the shelf but had yet to make contact with the prize. Man, whoever owned the box knew what they were doing. It was so far out of reach that Jessie might need a stepping stool.

She snickered when her index finger slid over its smooth surface. A little further and it would—

Jessie smacked her forehead into a shelf.

Dropping her basket and fumbling over the items in the pantry, Jessie jerked her earbuds out of her ears and jerked around to see what hit her in the back of her head. The culprit rolled up to her feet. Bending down and picking up the bright red apple, a menacing hiss slithered past her teeth as she brought her deadly gaze up.

Red Sox held a fanged smile while tossing an apple up and down in his hand. Standing next to him with his head in his hand was Fhear.

Clenching her fingers around the fruit, Jessie didn't give to any though of the consequences if she missed. All that mattered was teaching that asshole a lesson. So taking the round object in her hand, she threw it right back at the son of a bitch. No surprise when he stepped out of the apple's path. It was the sound of glass breaking which had all three of them flinching.

"What the hell?" roared Jessie.

"We called you three times," Fhear said into his hand.

"So throwing food at me was your solution?"

While Fhear shook his head, Red Sox continued to play with the fruit as if daring Jessie to do something stupid. Well, she was more than happy to accept his challenge because her hand snatched a soup can with every intention of launching it.

"Vishous, stop!" shouted Fhear

So Red Sox's name was Vishous. Again, strange name but she didn't bother in caring. All that mattered was the fact that Fhear distracted her target, giving her the opening she needed. Jessie threw the can with precision and cheered in triumph when red liquid exploded all over Vishous' face.

This time Fhear was pushing the vampire out of the kitchen in an attempt of preventing a homicide. Jessie could hear the vampire snarling and cursing her name to kingdom come. Once the sound of the door closed behind the bastard, Fhear returned in view. When he didn't say anything, Jessie picked up her basket and exited the pantry with a kick to close the door. She glanced down and sighed with relief when she found the beer bottles remained intact.

"Are you trying to kill yourself?" the vampire asked.

"He started it," she said in return.

"Fine, he threw the apple. And yes, Qhuinn locked you in your room. But does everything have to result in a blood bath with you?"

Jessie shrugged her shoulders. "Makes things easier I guess."

Heading around the island between the two, Jessie paused next to Fhear. The heels under her feet gave the much appreciated height so the two of them really didn't have a challenge of looking one another in the eyes. Dark green stared back at bluish grey and were locked in a long stare.

No words were passed between them for their eyes did all the talking. Fhear, in a way, was telling Jessie to take it down a notch if she cared for breathing. Jessie returned his with a look that told him she wasn't making any promises. As if understanding their conclusion, Fhear was the first to look away and take a seat on a stool next to the island. Jessie rolled her head around with the sound of her spine cracking from a kink.

"Is that guy glue to your hip or something?"

Fhear began to rub his eyes like he was tired. "For tonight he is." Leaning against the counter and crossing his arm, Fhear tilted his head back and let out a breath of air. "There's a whole lot more going on under this roof. I think you might want to know these people before picking fights with them."

"Like who?" Spinning on her heels, Jessie went back to using her hip as a support for the basket. "Should I be afraid of someone in particular? Like, say, your father?"

"Maybe. He is the king of our race."

Jessie lost all form of oxygen to make so much as an "oh". All she could do was give a faint nod. Air returned to her lungs as she gulped it back down. Pointing at Fhear, she made a questioning look which he returned with a nod.

"Now that explains the posse you're always with."

"Not my idea," Fhear murmured.

The night at Sal's paid a visit as Jessie recalled their conversation. At the time, she assumed it was a typical father-son argument. Never in a million year did she think she would be telling a prince to tell his father and king to fuck off. This was the first time being torn in feeling pride and dread.

Fhear got back to his feet with a tired look in his eyes. "Just be more careful when dealing with people. Some will actually meet you on the challenge. Others will just attempt murder."

"Like Red Sox?"

"Vishous. And yeah."

Jessie rolled her eyes and waved at Fhear to let him know she got that message unlike the other one. Now using both hands to hold the basket since it was getting heavy, Jessie swayed back and forth on her heels. "You do know you suck as a tour guide and giving out useful information, right?"

When Fhear blinked with a confused expression, Jessie grabbed the guy by the shirt and started dragging him to the door. There was no mistaking the shiver running up her spin as she drew closer to the swinging piece of wood. Surely this Vishous buddy was waiting on the other side just to get back at her. Oh, well. If he wanted a fight, he would most likely get a fight even though Fhear just told her he was the kind who try to bury her body.

She stopped before opening the door and released Fhear. With them back to looking one another in the eye, there was no hostility in Jessie's gaze with was a clear sign she would attempt at playing nice. "I'm going to put this up and you're going to give me a proper tour of your place."

"That might be a bit difficult. The Brotherhood also teaches classes so there'll be a lot of people downstairs."

"Okay," Jessie said with a shrug. "We'll stay out of their way. And you're going to have to tell me who's who and if they have anything up their sleeve. I don't want to run into someone who can turn into Godzilla or something."

With her piece said and done, Jessie pushed her way out to the foyer and smirked when she saw Vishous. The vampire wasn't wearing the soup mask but his clothes could say otherwise. Even though he returned her smirk with his own, Jessie knew the vampire had something planned instore for her. It could be tonight or tomorrow night but it would come.

Vishous, Qhuinn, the giant with the scar on his face, and the vampire who got his nose busted were the ones Jessie would have to look out for. Those four had a bone to pick with her. Jessie wondered how fast that number would go up until she found a way out of the place and back to beating bodies in hopes of finding Jessie. Thinking of all the future trouble she would cause for these guys made her feel all warm and fuzzy.

No point in feeling homesick anymore. She was about to feel right at home here.


	22. Chapter 22

_Hi, hi! Sorry it's been so long. School's been keeping me busy and so has the little side project I'm working on. Dear Lord. I now have two Jessies in my head and they're both driving me crazy. Hope you enjoy :)_

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Chapter Twenty Two

After some unneeded bickering in the hallway, Fhear convinced V not to rip Jessie's head off while the human was putting her things away. Besides, she was going to be with them for a while so it was best if she knew where she was walking. It would be pretty embarrassing if she walked into room while it was experiencing a little too much excitement. This would also give the Brother a chance to see how the human worked. Watching her react to certain areas would give him and the others a better chance of anticipating where she might try to escape from.

No surprise when Jessie joined their group with a notepad and pen in hand. There was a moment where she and the male glared at one another. Fhear made sure to stay between the two to prevent them of doing something stupid. Because there was more under the mansion and agreeing on where to start first with the Brother, Fhear began his little tour down in the tunnels under their feet.

Tonight was one of those nights where the rooms for teaching were full to the last seat. Half of the Brothers had been called in to give lessons while the others were out on the streets. With the rooms occupied, it made it a bit easier for Fhear to explain since they kept to the hallways. Whenever the prince had a chance, he would glance over at Jessie who drew a crude sketch of where they walked with notes on the side as a reminder of their location. Again, he kept himself planted between the two because V would snicker from seeing Jessie's drawing.

This was actually the first time Jessie wasn't giving out death threats so the change was a bit welcoming. Leading the party down, Fhear gently nudged the doors to the gym open so they could see. The prince quickly flinched when he saw Dhusk go sailing over his father's shoulder and taking a hard one to the mat. A ring of initiates stood around, studying the move Nightmahre just performed. As father helped son back to his feet, the older male told their group to pair up and start practicing.

On the other side of the room were some initiates who were part of the special weapons class. Tonight it was Phride leading the class. Usually, Mehrcy or Victoria oversaw the sessions but the two were out on patrol. It was strange in seeing the male taking the reins by himself since one of his brothers would be with him.

Further down the gym was Butch who was supported by Hhavoc and Ahgony. The three males had the initiates running drills, pushing them to the breaking point before starting all over again. Fhear took a moment to check on his friend. He was more than relieved to see Hhavoc didn't look terrible. The male held himself high and appeared to be full of life. There was a slight node which Fhear noticed as a sign to his other friend. Ahgony returned the nod as if the two just discussed something.

As Fhear was easing the door back, he looked over his shoulder and flinched.

He took his eye off of Jessie for one second, for one messily second, and the human was snarling at V who had that smug look on his face. Apparently the male goaded her because Jessie looked like she was ready to throw down.

"V," snapped Fhear. When the male looked at him, Fhear pointed to the door. "Give us a second. Alone."

The Brother surprised Fhear by rolling his eyes and doing as he was told. However, Vishous kept the door open so he could listen on their conversation, also making it easier for him to intervene. Once they were giving a second together, it was Fhear's turn to shoot Jessie his own glare. "Did you forget my warning or something?" he said in a low voice.

"Tell that to him," she hissed back.

"Jessie, I know you'd rather crack skulls right now, but you need to take a step back and breathe. Have you forgotten what we are? Give one of the Brothers one chance and you'll end six feet under."

Jessie blew a blue strand of hair out her face. "Hey, I was the one who tried to let bygones be bygones. They're the ones who keep pushing me. Am I supposed to let it go unanswered?"

Fhear dragged his hand down his face, knowing full well V was happily listening to them bicker. "Just try," he begged. "Try to be more docile and they'll back off."

They both perked their heads to the crack when they heard a hard body hit the mat.

Since it seemed they held the same curiosity, they leaned over to see who took the wipe out and saw that it was Nightmahre using his son for another demonstration. Fhear didn't know if the male was holding back on his friend or not. Then again, considering all of the trouble he and his friends got in, this might be a reminder to stay in line.

"Not many girls, huh?"

"We do teach females as well. I just don't think they're classes are tonight. There are also females who are part of the Brotherhood."

"Cool."

"And what about you? Cool?"

Jessie rolled her eyes and held her occupied hands up. "Can't make promises I can't keep."

Having no choice but to take her answer as it was, Fhear knocked the door to let V know they were moving. The Brother rejoined them and Fhear was glad the bastard wasn't smirking. He glanced over at Jessie and found her more focused on her homemade map instead of the male.

The prince turned so he could resume their tour only to stiffen when he saw who was done the hallway. And he wasn't the only one to react. There was a curse coming from Vishous and a low growl from Jessie.

Qhuinn and Blaylock had just stepped out of the infirmary and say the three of them.

Fhear felt his skin crawl when that growl next to him turned into a deep snarling sound. Didn't he just ask Jessie to try in playing nice a second ago or did he imagine that in his head?

When the males saw them, Qhuinn's gaze locked on the human. The look he was casting was one that would send someone scurrying away. Instead, it seemed to stoke the growing fire right next to the prince.

For once, it was V who walked up to the males. There was no smug look to him like there had been a second ago. Instead, the male had a silent conversation with the two as if trying to keep a fight from breaking out in the hallway. Fhear caught Qhuinn casting an unfriendly glare over at Jessie as if wanting to settle things. The prince didn't have to look over to know that Jessie was itching for the fight.

As they stood by the doors, Fhear couldn't help but wonder what made Jessie react to violence first. He watched the videos and knew they had all be about her brother. However, there surely could've been other ways of settling the disputes instead of having a full out brawl. And there was the fact that she hit Blaylock with her car and drew a gun on him. And while he was thinking about it, there was that whole pop-goes-the-weasel incident in the garage. Those incidents could've been handled differently if someone tried talking it out first.

If Fhear didn't know anything, he would assume all Jessie knew was violence.

He was too busy of thinking about the past that he jumped when Vishous rejoined them. Behind the male, Qhuinn and Blay were taking down the opposite direction. There were no distasteful glances back or any unsavory words pointed in their direction. The two Brothers went on their way as if they hadn't laid eyes on the tour group.

Fhear didn't hold back on letting out a sigh of relief. The night was still young and he didn't want any more death threats going around until the next night began.

"Damn," muttered Jessie.

"What do you mean 'damn'?" Fhear asked.

Crossing her arms and leaning on one leg, she looked more bored than pissed. "I was actually hoping for him to follow through. Maybe I should've hit him instead of his boyfriend."

V tipped back his head and laughed. Clutching his sides, the male had to take a few gulps of air to calm himself. "You really want to die, don't you?" he teased.

"He now," snapped Jessie. Taking the pen in her hand, she stepped up to the Brother and poked him square in the chest. "Don't think I forgot about you and your voodoo. I'll get even with what's-his-name later. As for you and the one with the scar on his face, we still have some unfinished business."

Aw, crap. Jessie wouldn't, would she?

The male straightened up. "So, you want to settle the score?" He pointed to the gym. "I can tell them to open up a mat right now. I mean, if you really want to even the scale."

Jessie shoved the notepad and pen in Fhear's arms.

Hell! They were going to do it.

"Fine then." Jessie cracked her knuckles. "Open a ring. I need to get rid of this extra energy anyways."

A deadly smirk appeared on the male that he was a little too fast in running into the gym. Once they were back to being two, Fhear dropped the items and grabbed Jessie by the arms. He stared right into her eyes when he said, "Are you out of your fucking mind?"

"Not even the slightest." Jessie pulled out of his grasp. "He's just some overweight motherfucker. I can take him down without a sweat."

"Jessie!" Fhear restrained himself from pacing. She had yet to find out that some members of the Brotherhood had special abilities. Well, maybe she knew about Sam since they spoke not long ago. Surely the male showed off his tricks to convince her into listening.

Dearest Scribe Virgin, how could this be happening to Fhear?

"You have no idea what you've done." Keeping his feet planted, the prince raked his hand through his hair. "Okay, fast course. You know how you made that Godzilla comment not long ago? Yeah, well, one of the Brothers can actually turn into a dragon-like creature. You've already met the members who can turn into wolves. We have others who can create seals and sense people by their emotions. There's also a Brother who can manipulate air. Vishous?" Fhear jabbed his finger at the doors. "That gloved hand of his isn't a fashion statement. The male can incinerate anything if he took that glove off. And while I'm at it, he's the son of our goddess! And let's not forget one of the strongest Brothers in the Brotherhood."

Taking a moment to breathe, Fhear waited for some sort of reaction to pop on Jessie's face.

All he got was a blank expression.

He nearly lost his shit when she did the sign of the cross.

"Okay!" she said a little too cheery. "Now I'm ready."

"For the love of—"

The doors to the gym hit Fhear in the back, sending the prince stumbling forward. When he looked back, he saw V grinning so wide he looked like the Cheshire Cat. Far off in the distance, a mat in the center of the gym was completely clear for usage. On the sides were the pretrans and the males who were taking a five minute break.

"Not backing out, are you?" challenged Vishous.

Jessie stepped forward to answer the challenge. "Hell, no," she answered with a grin on her face. "Bring it on, mama's boy."

Fhear could only slap his face and groan.

First an open threat. Then an attempt at manslaughter. An assassination attempt only hours ago. Now a fight for all to witness.

A fight between a highly experienced vampire against a human female who wasn't afraid to play dirty.

This was not what Fhear expected to happen when he woke up this evening.


	23. Chapter 23

_Amazing news! I got The Beast XD I'm this close in finishing Blood Kiss that I can't wait on starting Rhage's second book. HAPPY DAY!_

* * *

Chapter Twenty Three

Hopping on her feet over to her side of the mat, Jessie could feel her blood pumping a million miles a second. She didn't care that there was a room full of vampires watching. To her, this was just another fight on the streets or in the ring at her uncle's makeshift gym. All that mattered was who came out victorious.

The vampire Fhear said was named Vishous tossed the cap he'd been wearing and approached his end. On the sidelines, Fhear stood next to his friends with his head in his hands. Clearly he wanted to her to at least play nice to get some prying eyes off of her. Too bad there were debts that needed to be paid. She'd have her turn with the other two vampires later. As for the one standing across from her, fists was the only way to make things right.

There were the older vampires who kept close to the mat's edge. From the way how they were looking at them, they were getting ready to see who needed medical attention. No doubt they were assuming Jessie would need the ambulance. Well, she'd do her best to have them change their minds

"Don't you want to change shoes?" snickered the vampire.

Jessie swung her arms around to loosen them up. "Nope. Besides, will an opponent wait for you to wear comfortable clothes to fight in? Didn't think so."

Vishous chuckled to himself before lifting his fists up. "Fine by me. And don't think I'll go easy on you. You asked for this so get ready."

Blood pumping and the urge to throw down on overdrive, Jessie took her own stance. No surprise when she saw Vishous raise an eyebrow. To anyone who took classes, they would all agree that Jessie's stance left her chest wide open. Only problem was that they weren't Jessie so she stepped back with her legs wide apart, her right fist at level with her head, and her left fist down just below her waist in the front. When she didn't change positions, the vampire shrugged to himself as if accepting the strange stance.

They both stayed put as they waited for the one named Nightmahre to begin the fight. With a reluctant look on his face, the vampire approached the match and raised his hand.

He dropped his hand.

Jessie shouted as she ran straight to the vampire. Giving nothing away except for that stupid smile of his, Vishous must've expected her to throw a roundhouse or flying-side kick because he began to pivot for a back-kick. However, as the distance between them drew to a close, Jessie stayed on her left leg, throwing her weight in the same direction. Right as the vampire brought his leg around to hit nothing but air, Jessie jumped on her left leg and threw a right roundhouse kick to the head.

Feeling her foot making contact felt so good.

Vishous's head snapped back as Jessie landed on her feet. With the momentum on her side, she did her own back-kick and leaned down so that her attack was directed to the chin. The pad and heel of her shoe met its target, sending the vampire stumbling back.

His defense wasn't up just yet which meant Jessie could land another attack if she moved fast. Planting her leg back down and lunging herself across the mat, Jessie danced on her feet in a spinning motion until she raised her left leg to throw a spinning-hill kick. Seeing Vishous's head coming into view was all her eyes were focused on.

She didn't see the upper-cut.

Feeling her teeth crush against each other, the next thing her body registered was the air flipping upside down as she went to the ground. The mat didn't meet her face because Vishous felt like it was time for payback. Another punch landed square in her gut, tossing her body up in the air. And to finish the combo, a toe-steeled boot would've made contact with Jessie's face if she hadn't brought her arms up in time to block.

Taking the blunt with her arms, she was tossed across the mat but managed to stay on her feet. A good thing too because Vishous was right in front of her in a heartbeat. Even though Jessie only had a second to react, she couldn't help but acknowledge the vampire. Fhear had been right about him being a deadly fighter even though they've just begun throwing blows.

Time to meet her opponent on equal terms.

Jessie raised her left leg up to the level of her chest and used her very leg to block a low kick. Once making contact, she smiled as she watched Vishous grimace from his move. When he tried to follow up with an inside-crossing kick, Jessie quickly hopped to her right leg and blocked his move from reaching half way. She received the same expression as if the blocks were doing damage.

Still on her tiptoes, Jessie rotated on the back of her heel and threw out her leg in the form of a roundhouse. The attack was because of opportunity so she wasn't surprised when he blocked it so easily. Feeling him lace his fingers over her jeans as if meaning to jerk her off her feet, Jessie pushed herself off the ground with her free leg and threw her second roundhouse to the head. Vishous had to release her, blocking the second attack and throwing her off balance.

Falling back to the ground, the close quarters wasn't what Jessie hoped for but had to make do even though she sucked with her upper body. It showed when she threw a wide right hook and had it batted away like it was nothing. She then saw how good Vishous was with his hands because his punches were just as fast as his kicks. Bobbing and weaving, Jessie needed to back out so she could start throwing more kicks. Too bad Vishous appeared to know her game because he kept close to her with punches coming from high and below.

Jessie did her best to defend herself. It was just that every time she tried to back up or raise her legs, Vishous would throw a punch either low or move to the side to block her legs. Then there was the fun fact that when she threw a punch, the damn vampire disappeared on her and appeared right behind her. Jumping away and bring both hands down to block his kick, she snarled at him since this was his first magic trick. If they hadn't been fighting, she would gapped at the act. She could do that when they were done and she was standing over his body.

Then she'd come after Fhear because he forgot to mention this trick of his kind.

Not knowing whether Vishous would pull another fast act on her, all Jessie could think about was getting the room she needed.

Time to play by her own rules.

Throwing out a pathetic punch, the little trick held no power over Jessie as she watched Vishous disappear once more. Spinning in a tight circle with all intents and purposes of throwing a back fist, she felt those strong hands take hold over her wrist and jerk her backwards. Noting the strong arm wrapping and constricting around her chest, it took everything Jessie had from sinking her teeth in those arms.

"I'll admit," Vishous panted in her ear, "you're pretty good with those legs of yours. Too bad you suck with your fists."

Jessie wiggled her other arm under his grasp. "Oh, yeah?" she taunted. Her arm then slithered free. "I think I'm pretty good with my hands."

She twisted her arm around and crushed the bastard's dick in her hand.

Hearing the high pitched screech in her ears, Jessie jerked her head back and smacked it right in the vampire's head. Feeling his arms release her and still holding on, she twisted so hard she thought it would snap in half. When she finally released the giant vampire, Jessie kneed him even though she already did more than enough damage down there. And she didn't stop with the low kick. Even though her punches sucked, she threw a throat punch with Vishous falling right to her.

Vishous staggered back in a hunched position, giving Jessie more than enough space to spin around twice before releasing a very strong and very powerful roundhouse.

The impact could be heard over the oohs and awes.

Too bad the vampire was still on his feet.

Having recovered from her attacks, Vishous stood up to his full height with a snarl on his face.

"So we're playing dirty, huh?"

Jessie resumed to her strange stance. "We didn't clarify on rules."

"No. We didn't."

Something changed between the two and clearly the bystanders understood because there was some shuffling back.

As for Jessie and Vishous, they went full throttle.

* * *

"Should we stop those two?"

Fhear didn't know because he had his face in his hands.

"Holy shit!" Someone jerked his shoulder. "Fhear, man, you really need to see this."

Knowing he would have to look sooner or later, Fhear lifted his head to see the fight.

Jessie tumbled on the ground before rolling back up to her feet and throwing a very high roundhouse which Vishous dodged by going under and threw a punch but missed with Jessie spinning around on the balls of her feet. The momentum didn't break because the Brother attacked with a spinning back-kick and missed when Jessie hopped back and threw a side-kick to his chest.

Both of them were spinning around each other in tight circles without missing a beat. Whenever V grabbed a hold over her legs and threw her to the ground, the male jumped back whenever she kicked at the lower region. The time Fhear covered his eyes was when Jessie had the male's dick in a death lock. Surely he was experiencing some serious PTSD. And because of that, Jessie used the even as a tool by kicking low, causing the Brother to jump out of kicking distance. There was also the fact it gave her enough time to get back up and throw another deadly kick.

Dear Scribe Virgin, if Fhear didn't know better, he would actually think those two were on even ground. Then again, with the look of murder in both of their eyes, surely they were equals because they wanted to kill each other.

"Man," mumbled Dhusk. "I mean, I know Victoria and my _mahmen_ can go toe-to-toe with the others but that's because of the curse and military training. Jessie only knows how to street fight."

"What's your point?" Hhavoc muttered.

The male waved at the intense fight unfolding in front of them. "It's a damn miracle she's standing after twenty seconds with V."

Next to the prince, Ahgony flinched back when Jessie landed smack on her side. She wasn't down for long because she flipped back and was on her feet once again before throwing a series of kicks on the same leg to deflect Vishous's moves.

Fhear already knew how good of a fighter the human was. He did spend some time watching those videos and got a small glimpse when she took down those _lessers_. It was just a bit different watching it in full bloom. If he didn't know any better, he would think that Jessie had more training than she let on.

The four males all flinched when V barely missed another kick meant for his head. As the male dodged and went in for a shot, he backed up again when Jessie switched feet and did a much lower spinning-hill. And as she did a full circle, she raised her left leg again for another block and nearly scratched V's eyes out with her nails.

Missing those sharp nails, V landed three solid punches to the stomach, one to the face, and flipped Jessie over for what seemed like the millionth time. This time he held onto her arm so she couldn't scramble back up to fight. The move seemed like a good idea if it wasn't for the fact that Jessie landed on her knees and bit the male on the hand.

"I really have a bad feeling about this."

Fhear's friends nodded in sync before releasing another flinch when both Vishous and Jessie kicked each other at the same time.

Vishous bent down from the hundredth kick to the face while Jessie staggered around on wobble legs from the kick she took the side. With one second for them to collect themselves, they were back in the center of the ring, fists and kicks flying so fast none of the pretrans watching the fight could keep up with if their lives depended on it.

Knowing that this fight was going to end with one severely exhausted and the other with a nameless gravestone, Fhear inched over to where Nightmahre was watching. The prince looked up at the Brother and saw how the male really wanted to call the fight off.

"Night?"

"I know," muttered the male. "Just trying to figure a way how none of us die from interfering."

Well, if that was all he needed, Fhear had something in mind. It would just end with him taking the hit."

"Dhusk," he shouted to his friend.

Without saying another word, Dhusk got the memo and jogged over to the benches. Hhavoc and Ahgony split when the male approached Fhear. Since what they were holding was a little heavy, Fhear grasped his side of the container and jerked the white top off. Next to the prince, Nightmahre signaled Phride and Butch to be on the ready.

"They're so going to kill us," Dhusk whispered.

"Yep."

Dhusk and Fhear heaved hoed the orange cooler, releasing a wave of blue Gatorade.

The pretrans in the gym went silent as the blue drink splashed all over Vishous and Jessie. Even being prepared for the event, the Brothers were so quiet one could hardly hear them breathe. As for the males who initiated the move, Fhear and Dhusk stood there with the cooler in their hands.

Vishous and Jessie stood right where they were with blue liquid dripping from their body. The first to move was the male. Turning around to look at the two, both males jumped when V narrowed that look which was meant to kill.

Thank the Scribe Virgin when Butch stepped in. "Alright now." The male walked on the mat placed his hand on Vishous's shoulder. "I think you two are done. How about we head out and let the class continue?"

Apparently V's head was working because he took one look around the gym and grunted.

Fhear released a sigh of relief, knowing one problem was solved. Now he had to suck it up and look over at Jessie.

She was staring straight at him.

"Que Dieu ait pitié de votre âme."

 _May God have mercy on your soul._

It was Ahgony and Hhavoc who caught Jessie when she sprinted right at Fhear.

Even though Nightmahre took position in front of the prince while his friends held a highly pissed human at arm's length, Fhear already he was going to get it later. Everything that happened involving Jessie always came back to bite him on the ass. At least he would see this one coming.


	24. Chapter 24

_Hi! Sorry for the long update. Schools been keeping me busy and finals are nearly up. Sad to say that summer is here which means my usual break. Sorry that I haven't been able to keep up with updates. But don't worry! Summer will be over with before we know it and I'll be back with more for Jessie and Fhear. Until then...have an awesome summer and many wonderful vacations :D_

* * *

Chapter Twenty Four

Rubbing his eyes to evade the oncoming headache, Fhear waited outside the infirmary to avoid any questioning. If Jane wanted to know who put the ass whooping on her mate, all she had to do was ask anyone from the gym. Or Jessie since she came in with the same amount of bruising. The prince took one look at the doctor's unhappy face and now found himself waiting outside like a pouting child.

He still couldn't get the fight out of his head. Jessie, a human, had held her ground and went toe-to-toe with a highly trained Brother. Not only was that completely unbelievable, there was no doubt in his mind that the two would've gone full throttle until one of them was on the mat either unconscious or dead. For Vishous, Fhear could slightly comprehend for his reasoning.

Jessie did twist his balls in front of everyone to watch.

What Fhear couldn't get over was her fury. He had seen it plenty of times on the videos and a behind the curtain sneak peek with Hhavoc. Watching her go out in real life was breathtaking. It only made him wonder what she would've done to the _lessers_ if there wasn't anything holding her back.

The first thing that came to the prince's mind was her Beauvillier bloodline. Maybe there was something in their blood the god gave them which made them stronger than the average human. It was just impossible for an average human to go that long against a fully grown male who had been trained to kill for war. Jessie had skill, there was no doubt about that. Fhear watched how she used those strong legs of hers. And the confidence only strengthen those kicks she landed.

It just didn't make sense on how a human was on the verge of overpowering a member of the Black Dagger Brotherhood.

The door to the infirmary swung open and Fhear heard some bickering before it swung closed. Jessie rotated her right arm as if to set it back properly back in its socket. Clumps of brown and blue obscured her face so she blew it back. Noting Fhear standing right next to her, she finished spin-wheeling her arm and took a position opposite of him. She then imitated his pose by stuffing her hands in her shoulders and leaned back against the wall with her kicking legs holding her up.

Fhear's eyes scanned her clothes. There were some remains of the Gatorade he and his friends used to stop the fight. No way was anyone getting in between them. He really hoped she wouldn't finish her threat in the hallway.

"You're paying for my dry-cleaning," she said.

A sigh came from the prince. At least he knew he was in the clear of murder territory.

"Please don't do that again."

"Do what?"

Fhear jabbed a thumb behind him, right when Jane's voice could be heard through the door. Even Jessie averted her skittish gaze from the voice.

"Hey, we ended up in a tie so debts have to be settled eventually. Same thing for the scarred guy and the boyfriend."

"Their names are Zsadist and Qhuinn. And please don't. Things might end up the same with Qhuinn but not with Z. You thought this fight with V was tough? My best advice is to not attempt a fight with Z. He'll probably have you down in three seconds flat and have us trying to keep him from literally killing you."

"Didn't your friend try to do that?"

"Z's different. Take my word on it."

Jessie grunted as if weighing the odds in her head. To Fhear's relief, she gave him a shrug and looked away.

He would take that as a reconsideration.

"Now what?" she asked. "I know I'll lose my way down here until one of you find me. And I don't think I'll be taking any moonwalks any time soon. Is there anything here to keep the enemy entertained?"

Fhear cocked an eyebrow. "Enemy?"

Jessie removed her hands and waved them wide. "You know 'keep you friends close, your enemies closer' shit? I'm definitely not your friend so that makes me your enemy. So you got goods here or what?"

 _Your enemies closer…_

Something clicked in the prince's mind.

"Another time," was all he said.

Another shrug from Jessie. "Whatever. Beat anyways." She pushed herself from the wall and pointed in a direction. Fhear nodded to confirm it was the way back to the mansion. "Maybe when I'm not trying to bail this place, I'll have to find some goodies. Until then." She waved goodbye and left.

With the thought too fresh in his head, Fhear leaned over and poked his head inside. V was still taking the heat from his _shellan_ and he didn't have time for the couple to work things out. Fhear quickly shouted that he was going back to the mansion and was gone before V could say anything.

Jogging down the hallway and up the stairs leading to the mansion, the prince emerged in the foyer and glanced around. He then took off to his father's office. Surely who he was looking for would be there. Sad to say it was only his father. Fhear ducked out before his father could sense his presence. Checking the halls and finding nothing, Fhear approached the grand staircase to start his search down below when the male he was looking for entered through the front doors.

"Rehv!"

The male stopped in his tracks as Fhear darted down the stairs to join him. Amethyst eyes surveyed the area and seemed amused that the prince didn't have his shadow around.

"What's up?" he greeted.

Fhear would've answered with a smart remark if this wasn't important. Rehvenge must've sensed it because the playfulness evaporated from his gaze.

"What do you know about Bhrutal?" Fhear asked.

The question was probably not Rehv was expecting because his response was, "Come again?"

"Bhrutal? What is his tie to Cohnrad?"

Rehv took a moment to collect his wits. "What tie? The two don't even like each other."

Not from what Fhear saw that night. "No, they're friends. Or allies. Or whatever. Look, I saw them talking the night I went to my first meeting. And not talking as if saying hi. They were in the corner discussing something like they were in something together."

Rehvenge leaned on his cane, tightening his grip over the top. "What did they talk about?"

"I don't know but it seemed important. What do you really know about Bhrutal?"

"Not much. Just that he took his father's position around thirty years ago and keeps to himself. In fact, no one knows what the male does on his spare time. He either shows up to the meetings or doesn't bother."

"So why is everyone scared of him?"

The male rubbed his eyes as if he just realized something. "To be honest, it just happened. The day Bhrutal entered the fold, it's been like a predator's been stalking the place. It was the same with his father, just not as intense. All I can say is that one look from him and everyone cowers away." Rehv looked at Fhear. "Why this all of a sudden? Do you think those two are hiding something?"

Considering the fun encounter at Nightfall, Fhear wouldn't put it past Bhrutal to have a few more secrets. He just wanted to know the connection between the male and Cohnrad.

"I don't know. All I know is that the two are working together on something and I want to find out what. It may be something stupid or something very important. Not knowing might come back and bite us in the ass."

Going silent as if pondering the conversation, Rehv raised his cane and tapped it on the hard floor. "Tell you what. I'll do the digging. Don't tell anyone until I find something. If nothing pops up, we'll let it slide this once but I'll keep an eye on the two." The male paused. "Been working with the males for a long time and you were the first to call out a suspicion. Cohnrad is a good male and Bhrutal is one you don't want to cross. It take a set of balls to call them both out. Maybe we'll make a king out of you yet."

As Rehv went on his way, Fhear easily shook off the words.

It was still difficult to accept the fact that he would be king one day. Until then, he would do his best to act as a warrior and do what was right. And if that meant dealing with a male who did what was right and one shrouded in secrets, so bit it. His family had dealt with too much already and there were so many secrets protecting their enemy. It was time for Fhear to do something about it.

And if he had to do it behind everyone's back, he would do it all on his own.


	25. Chapter 25

_Happy 4th of July!XD_

* * *

Chapter Twenty Five

Eight days later…

Fhear was starting to hate the secret he and his friends kept from the others. Here he sat in the study, Dhusk on one end and Ahgony on the other with him sitting in the center. The three of them were together and considering how none of them had done anything stupid as of late, Fhear's father finally let up on that stupid rule of him being constantly watched. A good thing considering that the males were staring at Hhavoc.

Something strange was going on in Caldwell and it was effecting the male like never before. He was curled up on a couch, his head between his legs as he clutched his hair. Golden seals would flare over his arms every other second which they presumed wasn't good. If it hadn't been for him keeping his jaw locked, surely someone would've heard the pain he was going through.

For a time, Fhear wondered if it had to do with the ala no one had been able to locate. Clearly the gifted human was getting closer to their birthday and no one had the slightest clue on what to do. Lassiter spent the last few nights on the street in hopes on locating it before it was too late. As for Sam, between searching for Jamie like the other Brothers and helping Lassiter on the search before the sun rose, he also made a call to his mother the other night.

The Brother reaching out to his godly mother was unexpected. However, it was something Fhear suspected for a while. With all the events happening in the mansion thanks to Jessie, no doubt that the Brother with a god for a mother could ask another god about the creations he made so long ago.

Jessie was getting more devious on escaping the Brotherhood. After the fight between her and V, she had spent the next nights in a row with Jane in the infirmary. The first night was because she tried to make a break for it by scaling the walls like she did before. Whatever lore there was in New Orleans worked wonders because she came running back with Victoria chasing her in her wolf form.

She would then take her anger out on him.

Whatever body reflexes the male developed thanks to the human living under the same roof as him didn't hold the same effect as he watched his friend wither in front of him. Fhear desperately wanted to tell the others about Hhavoc's growing ability. They knew it was expanding because he admitted on how the sounds were getting louder and louder to the point of it sounding like it was merging. It was so loud in his head that he could barely stand. What pained Fhear and the others the most was when Hhavoc tried to keep his suffering at bay so no one would notice.

Hhavoc bit his lip the same time the water sprinklers went off.

Now Jessie damaged the water system. Another impossibility conquered by the determined human on finding her twin brother. Fhear mentally added it with the runaway attempt, vehicle damage, minor electrocution, both electrical and natural caused fires, and something that had to do with the pluming.

"I didn't do it!" came Paige's response from somewhere in the mansion.

As the males became drenched, Hhavoc began to calm down. Jessie must've done something to help him to clear his head. Sitting up and shaking his wet hair, he opened his eyes and looked over at the three of them. They already knew not to speak of what happened from his threatening glare. Not even Dhusk's returned sarcasm could keep his cousin's moods in check like they used to.

"What was it this time?" Fhear asked even though he knew the answer.

"Nothing," snapped Hhavoc. "Just like the previous nights. Something's just causing everything to go crazy."

In other words, he couldn't find anything if his life depended on it.

Not even Jamie.

Fhear didn't need to tell Dhusk to tend to his cousin. The prince already knew he would be needed down below in the infirmary. At least he could take Jessie's blows when it came from her fists. As for her strong kicks, he really wanted to know what Týr did to Jessie's bloodline. For all he knew, those kicks of hers was anything but inhuman.

* * *

"Again with the wires!"

Jessie hissed at Vishous from his remark. She even bared her teeth when the male did the same. If his mate wasn't in the room treating to her newly added burn marks, there was no doubt in her mind that the two of them would rumble right now.

"Then don't put them where I can find them," she growled.

"Then how about you stop tearing through the walls?" snarled the male.

"Okay! V, outside now."

It was like shouting at a wall because V didn't budge an inch, provoking Jessie in her already pissed off move. Seeing her _hellren_ needed a little motivation, Jane got up and whispered something in his ear, something he probably liked because he snorted before slamming the door really hard.

Once he was gone, Jessie was back to being still as Jane rubbed some antibiotics over her new wounds. After so many attempts which required wires, it was clear that wiring and Jessie simply didn't get along. It didn't work when she was a teenager and it wasn't working for her right now.

Thinking back on when she found the wires after cutting a whole in the billiard's room, she could've sworn that the wires looked different. The thin gray one had accidently short circuited the mansion, causing the vampires to panic since they couldn't get the shutters closed. At least they had Paige who moved them in place thanks to her telekinesis. Now Jessie knew not to cut the thin gray wire because she shocked herself stupid.

Yellow was hooked up to the gasoline and the blue one did something that caused an electrical fire. Again, Jessie electrocuted herself on both occasions and was found twitching on the ground. She was still trying to figure out how a wire effected the plumbing system because it stunk like hell for six hours until Vishous got it working again. As for this new attempt, she now knew faded green had to do with the water system, causing the sprinklers to activate.

She still got electrocuted.

Sighing out loud to no one in particular, the only entertainment Jessie found herself doing was twirling a strand of blue hair around her finger. The dye was still there but it was close to redoing it. This evening she saw a hint of brown at the roots so she was going to trying in sweet talking someone in buying her some coloring.

"Maybe you should stay away from wires," commented Jane. "Any more bolts and you'll be glowing just as bright as Lassiter. And that's not a good thing."

Jessie cringed on the reference.

Those who claimed they weren't rougarous was a work in progress nearly complete. Jessie just didn't like the woman who had too much fun chasing her around the mansion. As for the whole fallen angel thing, she really needed to go to church. There were some confessions she needed to say and having something holy tormenting her thanks to her religious belief was killing her.

"Fine. No more wires."

"And."

Jessie rolled her eyes. "And no more tearing up walls." Jane waved her hand for Jessie to continue. "Or uprooting carpets or hotwiring cars. How about don't mess with anything that uses electricity and call it a night?"

The jab of germ-killing medicine to the arm was a good enough answer.

"Now off with you. Pretty sure you need to unpack."

Jumping off the table and grabbing her getaway bag, Jessie grunted as she slung it over her shoulder and stomped to the door. She was too pissed off that she didn't feel a shred of regret when she sent the door wide and almost smacked it into Fhear. In fact, seeing the vampire prince only pissed her off.

This was the habit she picked up ever since taking up residence in the mansion. Knowing Fhear was the prince of a nation didn't stop her even the slightest and she never figured out why he became the one to take her anger. All she did was take one look at him stumbling back from the door and threw an ax kick.

On a typical night, the kick would've made contact, sending the poor guy to the ground with a bunch of males coming at he with the intent to kill. However, Fhear was getting faster because he managed to jump out of the way before her heel made contact to his skull. It was then caught in midair thanks to Vishous.

Having Vishous touching her only heightened her terrible mood because she was this close on throwing a dirty move when Fhear broke the two of them apart. There were some words going on between the males but Jessie didn't bother in listening. She simply pushed past Fhear, knocking him into the wall, and stormed down the tunnel.

"Jessie!"

"Don't you treasure your head?" she snapped without turning around.

Her threat didn't keep Fhear from joining her. Whatever he said to Vishous worked because the male was nowhere in sight.

"If you're here to give me a scolding, don't waste your breath."

"I wasn't. Just wondering what you did to set the sprinklers off."

She spun around and got right up to his face. "It was one fucking wire! One wire! Will you get off my back already? Sheesh!"

Fhear held up his hands, a pathetic barrier to keep her from grilling him. "Okay, I get it. You made a mistake and took out the wrong wire."

Backing up so they had some space to breathe, they both stood in the tunnel without saying a word. And with the silence between them, all the tension in her body began to funnel out until all that was left was exhaustion.

"Y'all haven't found anything, have you?"

The prince just shook his head.

Not knowing where her brother was killing her like crazy. Sure, she didn't want the Brotherhood getting their hands on Jamie but at least they wouldn't kill him out right. Her twin was up to his neck in trouble and they wanted answers. As for Jessie, they knew she wouldn't think twice of hitting one of their own with another vehicle before bailing town on a plane reserved for two. It was just none of those theories would be put to work if none of them got a bead on Jamie.

Then there was the other itch she couldn't get rid of. After spending over a week in the mansion with practically nothing to do except for causing damage, Jessie was close to clawing up the walls and doing a Linda Blair. Of course, the fallen bastard would more than encourage it thanks to her religious paranoia. Jessie made sure to keep a wide berth from the wingless son of a bitch. As for the rest of the Brotherhood and their families, she really didn't feel comfortable being in the same room with them. Hell, when they had what they called their First and Last Meal, she kept to herself in the kitchen next door. It just made her feel weird having a meal with the people who most likely saw her has a hazard risk.

The only person who Jessie managed to get in more than a sentence was with Fhear. Besides him being her sole source of exerting her anger, the two talked every now and then which was a nice stress relief. Like right now, after being on the verge of blowing up in front of Vishous, every fiber in Jessie's body was cool like a cucumber. And that was thanks to a simple question and an honest head shake.

"Fine then," she grunted and hitched her bag further up her arm. "Better put my shit back where it belongs."

Fhear did another of his nods and headed back in the opposite direction, probably to check up on the vampire she recently pissed off. With his back to her and making her way to the mansion, Jessie slid her bag around and rummaged through it until her fingers wrapped around the solid edges. She gently pulled out the Death card and glared at it as she continued her journey.

Each night she woke up and each morning she went to bed, the card had been on the nightstand as a deadly reminder of the stupid prophecy Grams told her. The Fool, which represented her, would go on a journey and become The Lovers, two people either the same or opposite and would fall in love together, which would eventually lead to The Death, meaning Jessie's death. There was a small piece of doubt in her mind that her grandmother probably misinterpreted the last card. But the more Jessie played on that doubt, more forms of proof that Grams's tarot readings came true. It was nearly impossible for the woman to make a wrong prediction.

Jessie reminded herself for the millionth time not to let the second card come into play.

Slipping the mocking card back into her bag, Jessie reached the stairs leading to the mansion and marched right up. Coming to the door and entering the code she'd been given, she pushed open the door and kicked it closed.

"Hello!"

Jessie shrieked.

Wrapping his arm around her shoulders as if they were best buds, Lassiter leaned into her personal space with a stupid grin. Shivers ran up and down Jessie's body that she tried to break away but stayed put by the tight grin. Twisting around to look the fucking bastard in the face, she gulped as that grin grew wider by the second.

"What you up to, buddy?" he asked in a cheery way.

"Just heading back to my room," she answered through clenched teeth.

Lassiter leaned in even closer. "Cool. How about we chill together once you're done? It'd be nice to hand with a friend."

She couldn't take it anymore.

Jessie sunk her teeth into his arm.

While Lassiter jumped back, Jessie took off running up the stairs and straight to her room. Slamming the door and panting like crazy, she slumped down to her knees and rotated around so that she was sitting against the door with her back. "I fucking hate fallen angels," she muttered to the empty room.


	26. Chapter 26

_Summer is over, ladies and gets! That means we are back to the crazy adventure of Jessie and Fhear. And if you would like a little more Jessie action, I am happy to say I have posted the first three chapters of my other Jessie story. It's called Dark Crescent and I hope you guys like it. Now, without further adieu, let us see what kind of trouble our couple has gotten into XD_

* * *

Chapter Twenty Six

Waiting for the doors to close, Fhear turned around to face Rehvenge. The male made sure the doors were nice and closed so no one would overhear their conversation. With it having been days after their conversation, the prince wanted to know if he was being paranoid or that he caught something two male _princeps_ up to something.

"Well?" asked Fhear once the _sympath_ faced him.

Rehv tapped his cane against the floor, leaning on it to balance himself. "Do you know about Bhrutal's little club?" Fhear nodded. "Well, I don't know why I shouldn't be surprised. He does do a little business overseas. I think it's trading. Besides that, he has a long sheet of plane tickets to Mexico. The male goes there every year on the same dates. As for him and Cohnrad, all I could find was that the two were partners in a couple of small businesses, but that was years ago. The only connection between the two now is that they're _princeps_ and nothing else."

Fhear leaned against the table and sighed. He swore those two were up to something. However, if Rehv was telling him the tie between them was old business in the old days, then there was nothing he could go on. Dearest Virgin, he really wanted to chalk up the secret meeting to more than coincidence.

He just had this nagging feeling something was up.

"What kind of trading does Bhrutal do?"

"Tried looking into that. The male has his private life locked up like Fort Knox. Couldn't get so much as a single ledger."

Now that the prince could expect from Bhrutal. It wasn't long ago when he hacked into his club's server. The little warning still gave him chills.

Rehv walked over to Fhear, his cane tapping along the way. The male placed his hand on Fhear's shoulder with a reassuring squeeze. "Your gut told you something was up and you went on it. The results weren't what we were hoping for, but at least we know. You did good, kid."

"Yeah," Fhear muttered.

Patting the hand on his shoulder, Fhear noticed how Rehv was glancing around the study. As of late, the prince had been spending more nights in the room more than others. Some book that suffered the sprinkler attack rested on the table he was leaning on, pages open so they could dry. None of the book he was using were part of the casualties which settled well with Fhear. "Now that we got that off our shoulders, mind telling me what happened?"

"Oh, that. Jessie cut another wire."

"I swear, that human is resourceful. You do know there's a bet on when V will kill her, right?"

"Ahgony mentioned something about that. My father's not too big on it. At least we can both agree on something."

Rehvenge chuckled to himself as the two left the room. The male mentioned something about having to meet with the king so he gave Fhear a slight bow and parted. Once Fhear was alone, he went down the opposite way and ended by the stairwell only to pause.

It had been only two hours since Jessie's escape attempt, giving everyone to recover and prepare for the next night if she had anything instore for them. With this given window of peace, Fhear was less than surprised to find her casually standing near the stairs. Now that he thought of it, they had been doing this over the past eight days. She would go back to her room full of fury and then he would find her completely calm. And that was after she took her so-called fury out on him while keeping her head when a Brother nearby clearly wanted to take it.

Having switched her clothes for a blue crop top and a pair of mini-shorts, she ended the look with leather lace-up boots reaching halfway up her calves. Blue fabric covering just her breasts and a portion of her lower arms, smooth skin was revealed for all eyes to look at. Fhear found his eyes lingering a second too long on her body, quickly averting his eyes like he usually did. Tonight Jessie's hair had a mind of its own because it was a tangled mess of indigo and brown. He noticed her tips were starting to show, something that was obviously bothering her considering Jessie kept rubbing a strand of blue hair.

"What up with the closed doors?" she asked while playing with her hair.

"Nothing that concerns you."

"Right. Me, a human, has nothing to do with secret meetings."

Fhear rolled her eyes when she looked at him. "I don't have to explain myself to you," he answered. "And let's not forget you tried to take my head. Again."

"Yeah, well, I didn't. You're getting faster so that's a good thing."

Knowing how this conversation would turn out, the prince asked out of habit, "And why am I the only one who has to worry about his life when it comes to you and your outbursts?"

Right on cue, Jessie shrugged her shoulders. "Don't know. My theory is because you were weakest of the group. Now that's changed. You might actually get a shot at me next time. Kind of looking forward to that."

"You and violence," he mumbled.

Jessie blew the strand away and faced Fhear. "So," she drawled, "what was the meeting about? I can only assume it was about your buddy."

Fhear felt his body bristle. "Which buddy?"

"You know." She pointed to her hair. "The white haired one that's always with you."

The male grabbed Jessie by the arm and dragged her back down the hall to the library. Slamming the door behind him, Fhear spun around and found the human with a bored expression. "What do you know?" he whispered even though they were alone.

"Oh, I don't know," she whispered back. "Just that your friend seems to be hearing things people can't."

Damn it. And they had been so careful.

With it not even close to the middle of the night, Fhear already felt drained for the day that he took a seat before he fell over. Jessie hopped on the table. "How long have you known?" Fhear asked.

"For some time," Jessie admitted. "At the beginning, I knew, um—"

"Hhavoc."

"Yeah, Hhavoc. I knew he had something about him. When you told me about the seal thing, I thought that was it, but it didn't sit well. And by the way how you and your friends try to cover it up so no one knows, I figured it was a bro thing. Either way, I eventually put the two together and realized that he could hear things. So was that what this secret meeting was about?"

Fhear hesitated for a second. "Promise you won't tell anyone?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "It's not my place to tell."

He would have to take that. "It's true. Hhavoc can hear things. And before you get your supernatural theories going, it has nothing to do with spirits or whatever. The seals I mentioned and the fact that his father is a host for darkness has to do with it. Seems the two mixed well with one another because Hhavoc can anything that makes a sound on the earth."

"What do you mean?"

"Can't give you an exact explanation. Hhavoc only told us that his seals reacted to the fact that he would've been the host to the light and thus gave him the ability to hear the earth. He admitted that he can't turn it off and has been trying to control the volume in his head for some time. There are times when he's fine and when he can't move. The others and I have been keeping it quiet because he told us to."

"So this?" Jessie waved around the room.

"Completely different. Guess you're more observant than the others," Fhear murmured.

Jumping off the table and kicking out a chair, Jessie plopped down and leaned back on the back legs with one foot propped up against the table. "Like I said, it's not my place to tell so don't worry about me snitching. Just be a bit more careful if you don't want the others to find out. If I noticed, so will the others with given time."

Fhear would have to talk to his friends later about this. Sure, Hhavoc would be pissed that a human found out but would most likely tolerate it. Then they would try to help him keeping the ability on the down low even further. Man, Dhusk was going to have a handful with—

"Fuck!"

"What?"

The prince bolted up, nearly knocking Jessie over, and threw the doors open. Running down the hall, he shouted for Dhusk and Hhavoc like a damn alarm. He could hear Jessie chasing after him by her boots hitting the floor. The two skidded to the stairs and nearly fell over from the missed steps. Those who weren't the males Fhear was calling for poked their heads out of separate rooms to see what was happening.

Bellowing out their names as loud as he could, Fhear almost had a panic attack when the cousins finally emerged from the door under the stairs. Ahgony happened to be with the two, making the situation turn in their favors.

With all the crazy shit happening, the days passed Fhear's mind without a care in the world until now. The talk about Bhrutal and his share about Hhavoc reminded the prince about a certain threat that had tucked itself to the back of his skull.

"Easy, Fhear," laughed Dhusk. "Where's the fire?"

He grabbed the male by the shoulder, looking at him and his cousin past his shoulder. "Please tell me you have those dogs of yours inside the estate."

"No," answered Hhavoc. Given the way how he was staring at the prince with an annoyed expression, his mind was now clear for the night.

"We need to go. Now."

"And where is that?"

The four twisted around, looking at Jessie with one foot tapping.

"Yeah, where?" called out V.

Fhear ignored the growing crowd. "If you care for your pets' lives, we need to leave."

"Or what?" growled Hhavoc.

"I don't know! All I know is that you might not see them again if they go on Bhrutal's grounds a second time."

"Later!" Hhavoc bailed in the next second.

"Can someone—and there he goes," Ahgony said when Dhusk dematerialized as well.

"Hey, hey! If you guys are heading out, please—"

"Jessie."

The human spun around, hissing at Sam who was now back. "I need to talk to you," the male said, clearly not impressed with his hisses.

"And where are you—"

"The estate. Bye!"

Fhear didn't know who asked the question. All he knew was that his friends would need help rounding up the dogs and he was out in a flash.

Materializing in the back of the estate grounds, Fhear glanced around, not fazed when Ahgony joined him. Besides the _doggen_ tending to the giant mansion, the cousins weren't anywhere to be seen.

He did, however, hear some dogs barking in the distance.

"What did this Bhrutal guy say if he found the dogs?" asked Ahgony.

"Uh, something about not being held responsible if they didn't come back."

The two dematerialized and reappeared a few miles away from the estate, finding themselves on another estate grounds. Unlike the mansion on the grounds which was huge, the one Fhear found himself staring at happened to be a bit smaller, most likely designed to host a smaller family. As for the yard they were on, it was fairly big enough for children to run around on. Trees circled the estate like a green wall, only a long black driveway leading away down the one path to the outside world.

Fhear and Ahgony instantly spotted the cousins running off in the direction where they heard the barking. The two joined the males who managed to catch two dogs. There was still some barking going on so there had to be more on the grounds. Fhear prayed to the Scribe Virgin that Bhrutal wasn't home so they could escape without suffering any animal casualty.

The barking grew intense like the dogs had cornered something. With the cousins' hands occupied, Fhear sprinted over to where the dos were barking.

"Here, dog—"

 _"_ _ROAR!"_

Five dogs nearly ran Fhear over, tails tucked between their legs and yelping like their lives depended on it.

Spinning around to catch his balance, the prince glanced at his friends who were rounding up their pets before looking over his shoulder.

Balcony doors were opened to the night, silk drapes fluttering outside to the low winds. Soon enough, Bhrutal stepped out wearing nothing but jeans. Walking across the porch and taking one stone step at a time, the male finally looked over in Fhear's direction and narrowed his eyes.

"I told you what would happen," growled the male.

Fhear jerked back to see if the dogs were gone or under control. He didn't know if he should worry if they all cowered behind Dhusk and Hhavoc. But given the fact that they were on the edge of the yard, one could only assume they weren't on the grounds.

"I sorry," Fhear apologized. "Things have been crazy that I forgot to tell them. Can we let this be our last warning or something?"

Bhrutal began to stalk over to the male. Not walk, but stalked. The male placed one foot in front of the other in a straight line, almost like a predator stalking his prey. With the wind blowing his tawny hair around his face, the male's brown eyes seemed to darken as if they were focusing on the kill.

Stopping a few yards from the prince, Bhrutal bore daggers at the male. It was so intense that he couldn't hold the glare, forcing him to stare at the earth under his boots.

Now he understood what Rehv meant about the male. Something about him was more animal, making it feel like a hunter was sizing him up before the kill. And he knew the male wasn't to be messed with. The night at Nightfall came to Fhear's mind, how Bhrutal wasn't afraid of harming him or the Brotherhood.

Fhear reacted without thinking.

One second he was staring at the ground and the next he jumped to the side while catching something in his hand. In the distance, he could hear his friends rush over to his side before stopping when they saw their prince was fine. Now that he was looking at Brutal, Fhear noted how the male was in a throwing stance. He then looked up at his arm which was pulled back behind his head.

In his hand was a chakram.

A perfect circular weapon with a handle in the center, it was almost like catching a hira shuriken. Besides the size difference between them, Fhear reacted like he was grabbing one of his father's weapons in mid-flight.

"That's for Rehvenge."

Fhear flicked his arm down, sending the weapon back to its owner, watching with awe as Bhrutal caught the weapon the same way he had just done.

"What about Rehvenge?"

Bhrutal twisted the chakram once in his hand. "He's been digging in my life. I don't appreciate it." The male looked up at Fhear. "Next time you want to know about me, you know where to find me." He glanced down at his weapon before looking back at the prince. "Call before coming over. I'm pretty sure we have plenty to talk about." Another pause. "And this is your last warning. No more."

Without a second glance, the male spun on the balls of his feet and headed back to the patio.

Fhear realized his was holding his breath, more than happy to exhale.

The males joined him with the dogs still hiding behind their legs. "What was that about?" Dhusk asked.

"Nothing," was all he could tell his friends.

Ahgony nudged closer. "Did you guys hear what made that sound? It almost resembled some wild cat. Scared the dogs shitless."

"Maybe that's why he warned us." Dhusk motioned to the frightened animals. "He probably has some exotic pet in there. Might feed the dogs to it if there's a next time."

"Then let's hope not." Fhear patted his friends on the shoulders. "Come on. The faster we leave, the faster we don't find out if Dhusk's right."

With two nods, Dhusk and Ahgony were already leading the animals to the trees. Fhear was about to follow them when he noticed Hhavoc staring at the mansion. He called out the male's name, a bit surprised when he didn't turn to see who called him. The male's eyes were so fixated on the mansion that he could've been a statue on how still he was standing.

Fhear stepped in front of Hhavoc, snapping his fingers in front of his eyes. The male jumped back, suddenly brought back to reality.

"You okay, man?"

Hhavoc looked between his friend and at the mansion. "S—sorry," he fumbled. "It's just that—that—"

"What? Just what?"

Fhear watched as his friend took in a shuttered sigh not out of frustration but relief.

"It's quiet here."

The prince's body prickled like someone was watching him. He glanced over his shoulder and spotted the patio. The doors leading inside were still open, those curtains still floating in a foreboding way.

Bhrutal watched the two in the shadows.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter Twenty Seven

Fhear was more than grateful that no one asked how he knew Bhrutal or the fact that he was the mysterious neighbor. And if anyone was thinking that, the prince was able to put off the question by working with Ahnger. He told the male about the dogs and how this was their final warning about the animals trespassing on other grounds. Given that the Brother was off patrol and the king didn't mind his son over at the other estate, Fhear, Ahgony, and the cousins helped Ahnger build a large pen for the pets.

Hours of moving around trees and hammering in spikes, Fhear swore his fingers contained grooves from where he held the wired fence as Hhavoc nailed them in. Since they were partnered together on the opposite end of the others, the two spent some time talking over Jessie and how she found out. Hhavoc did his best to keep his temper contained so his father wouldn't hear them.

After some discussion, the male shook his head and told Fhear to tell Jessie he would hold her up to her word. Fhear assured his friend for the hundredth time that she wouldn't tell, rolling his eyes when Hhavoc said to just pass the message.

The four sighed in victory once they were done. As for the older male, he had yet to break a sweat. All seven dogs were safely tucked away inside the pen, running around their new enclosure. Ahnger told his son and nephew to make sure someone would check on the pen every night and to come find him if the dogs started digging.

Having done his good deed for the night, Fhear dematerialized and reappeared back at the mansion. A shower was in need but what the prince wanted right now was either cold water or a cold beer. He headed straight to the kitchen, expecting to follow up on his impulse when he paused mid-step once entering.

Rebekah and Sam shared the island, the male holding an icepack against his head. Across from them, Jessie was on her cell, speaking angrily in French.

"I know I'm going to regret this," Fhear said as a greeting to the couple. "What happened?"

"Non veut dire non!" Jessie hung up, her mad gaze instantly locking on Fhear. The prince took a step back just as a precaution. She then pointed an accusing finger at Sam. "This jackass had it coming."

"Sad to say that I agree," spoke Rebekah.

Fhear waited for someone to explain while making sure his exit was within reach.

"My mother spoke to Týr," answered the male. "Turns out the bastard came back a century after gifting the Beauvillier line. He was bored a second time and decided to tweak the gift he bestowed." He dropped the pack, revealing a nasty bruise to the head. "I was skeptical so I asked Jessie for a little help."

She grunted.

"And the results?"

"Result is that this fucking god is a dick and I want him to take it back!"

Guess Jessie answered his question.

"Týr found it amusing how Notker's descendants were having difficulty surviving during their time and decided to give them a little boost. Again, I wanted to test this claim. Does head sound remotely similar to body shot?"

Jessie growled at the male.

Since it didn't seem like the conversation was going anywhere, Fhear turned to Rebekah, watching as she parted a black strand from red. The female and Jessie had something in common when it came to color choices. Compared to Jessie's indigo stripes, Rebekah continued her tradition of red mixed with her black hair.

"Sam wanted to test how hard Jessie could really kick," she explained.

Fhear shuddered at the thought. "Now I'm curious," the prince mumbled while pointing at Sam's bruise.

"Jessie was taking it easy on him, so he tried to provoke her in going all out." The female held up her hand for one finger to pop up with each note. "He called her a wimp. Said she sucked at escaping. Insulted her alma mater. Called New Orleans nothing but a swamp. Boasted on how women couldn't fight as good as men."

"And you didn't murder him?" Fhear asked Jessie.

The human whipped her head around, eyes wild with rage and fury. Glancing once more at the Brother, she let out a low shriek before stomping over to the refrigerator and slammed the door shut after taking a beer. "Oh, I was close. I was even going to go for the body when he said the unthinkable."

"What was it?"

Fhear jumped from the voice behind him.

Jessie chugged half of the beer. "He said Louis Armstrong was a chump."

Fhear was still in shock that he barely paid attention as Claudya gasped in horror and glared at Sam with the same emotions in her eyes. "Now that is unfathomable," she said in a low voice.

"Amen, sister."

Jessie. Claudya. What?

"I third that opinion!"

Jessie almost dropped her bear when the angel came strolling in. Securing the bottle with both hands, she hastily excused herself and literally took off running from the room. Claudya laughed at the human's reaction to the angel who looked wounded. Hand over heart and a dramatic sigh, Lassiter quickly smiled before walking backwards just as fast as he entered, most likely to torment Jessie even further.

No matter how much the Brotherhood hated him, and besides Victoria, Lassiter was the only one keeping Jessie in check.

"All in all, Týr modified the strength of the bloodline so they could survive. Unlike the inherited gift of switching pain, enhanced strength is a hit or miss. Those who inherited it in the old days were the warriors of the people. Now we have a moody female who finds it as an unnecessary cheat and wants it gone."

"Aren't we allowed to be prideful of the strength we work hard for?"

Sam chuckled to his _shellan's_ jealousy. "Of course you are, _leelan_. Just never met someone so outspoken over the matter. Not that I'm complaining."

"Anyways, insulting one of the world's respected musicians resulted in a kick going from body to head shot. But we did see how strong she is without anything holding her back. A trip to Jane telling same he had a concussion from one kickled us here." Rebekah waved to the kitchen, obviously forgiving her _hellren_.

First dogs on the loose, catching a chakram second, and ending with a hazardous human undoubtedly being harassed by a fallen angel, this was absolutely the most bizarre night ever.

Now that Fhear was on the end of his list, something needed to cleared up.

He turned around to face Claudya. The female took one look at her prince and smiled as if she understood what he was asking in his head. "Oh, Jessie and I met a few nights ago. I found her hear eating fish sticks and moping."

"That night, huh." Fhear knew which night Claudya was talking about. After another failed attempt which involved some sort of electrical explosion in the billiard, Jessie came looking for Fhear in a bra and a matching pair of panties. Truthfully, he hadn't been uncomfortable when he saw her. After her telling him that she took her eyes off her clothes for one second and the _doggens_ taking off with them to the washroom, the best Fhear could do was let her borrow some of his _mahmen's_ clothes and deal with her complaining on how normal they were.

That was the one night where her body was actually covered.

After that, Fhear didn't know what Jessie did after that. They went their separate ways like always when First Meal started and that was that. Sure, Claudya showed up for a nice visit but had to wait for a bit since he and his father got into another disagreement. Fhear couldn't remember what it was over so it probably wasn't important. Either way, he spent some time with the female after that but never asked what she did during her wait.

Given how friendly she talked with Jessie, things must've gone well if the two were talking like they were old friends. Although, he kind of wanted to know what the two might've discussed during the wait.

"So…um, you and Jessie are good, right?"

Claudya nodded with a smile on her face. "We talked a bit. Mostly about her home and how she couldn't find any good southern food in Caldwell. Besides that, she was nice in her way. I think we got along really well."

Yeah, they were tight buds if Jessie was agreeing with her off the bat. At least Fhear wouldn't have to worry about her being nasty to Claudya.

"God, Fhear." Rebekah pinched her nose like something stunk. "Go and take a shower already."

That's right. He only came to the kitchen to get something to drink and walked into this. He really needed a shower to wash away never-ending anxiety for tonight so he would be fresh for the next night to come. It would feel nice to be refresh in time for Jessie to attempt another escape attempt. He could only imagine what she had next instore for them. And the thought should be frightening as hell.

* * *

Jessie swallowed the last drop of beer as a celebration to herself. Having fled the kitchen and lost the damn angel who was skipping behind her last she checked, this was her time to collect her wits and think of another way to avoid the bastard as much as possible. God, the more Lassiter popped up out of nowhere, the more she wanted to go to church.

She really needed to go to confession.

Noting how she was standing in front of some garden in the back of the mansion, there was no trash can so Jessie left the empty bottle on a steel table. With her luck, one of those pesky maids would swoop in and steal it by the time she looked over. The only thing that bugged Jessie about these people was that they got all bent out of shape when she wanted to do her own lingerie.

Morning would be coming around in a few hours which meant everyone would be returning to the mansion eventually. Jessie already stashed away a pack of defrosted chicken where no one could find it. It wasn't Cajun or French but it was something better than fish sticks. With the lack of her favorite dishes, she was going to have to write down a list or something for the head butler to buy. Surely the Brotherhood wouldn't mind her using the older man when it came to food. They were already getting pissed that she was hiding food in their own home.

A bark had Jessie hissing like a feral cat.

Hopping off the bath and spinning around to face the dog, Jessie felt like karma was biting her in the ass. Yes, there was a golden retriever waging his hairy tail at her with that happy dog look.

Fhear's father was standing next to the dog.

Ever since Jessie took up residence in the mansion, she never crossed paths with the king. It wasn't like she was avoiding him like she did with the angel or with Victoria which wasn't as much as a problem anymore. The two just never ran into one another which didn't bother Jessie. But now that the two were standing across from one another without anyone around, the lack of people was seriously freaking her out.

"Taking a break from all the drama you caused?"

Jessie mentally cursed, knowing she couldn't make a break for it if Wrath already knew it was her.

"One could say that," she snapped before regretting it. It didn't make sense in throwing venom at the person who owned the place. She quickly stepped back when the dog took a friendly step closer to her.

"I think Conner likes you."

"Yeah, well, feeling not accepted. Now control your pet before things get nasty."

Wrath laughed to himself. "So you really are cautious around dogs. No doubt there's a story behind that." The king gave the harness in his hands a slight tug, signaling for the dog to sit.

When nothing happened, Jessie began to wonder what to do. She didn't have anything to talk about with Wrath and being alone with him was starting to get unbearable. Didn't he have a wife to be with or a desk to be behind?

"You do know about Fhear and Claudya, correct?"

Was that a warning?

"Yeah, what about it?"

"I mean, do you know she is his betrothed?"

"And I repeat, I already know."

Wrath cocked his head, as if her answer surprised him.

This little talk came up when Jessie met the vampire. With it being by chance and all, the two just started talking. There was a moment when Jessie vetoed the card reading when Claudya asked if she knew how to. With telling futures off the table, the female brought up the fact that she had an arranged marriage with Fhear. With Jessie being who she was, she asked Claudya if the marriage was something she wanted. The only answer was a simple yes and a nod. Jessie immediately changed the subject to her crazy family.

Momentarily forgetting that she was talking to a legit king, Jessie returned to her snarky attitude. "What? You got something about your son hanging around a human woman?"

Again, there was silence between the two with the exception of the dog wagging his tail.

The king broke the silence with a chuckle. "You really are bold with your words. I can only imagine the hell you caused your parents when you were a child."

Jessie felt an icy chill run through her body.

"I don't mind you hanging with my son. I just didn't want certain feelings to arise between you two."

"Feelings?" Jessie did a dramatic laugh. "As if. I don't care if he's your son. He's just not might type. Besides, if I, speaking hypothetically, did have feelings, I would—"

The statement was supposed to be funny. Instead, Jessie found herself reaching for her left boot and removing the tarot card.

"You would what?" asked Wrath with a hint of entertainment in his voice.

She stared down at the Death card as she whispered too low for a soul to hear, "Die."

"Wrath, there you are!"

The two turned to the voice, Beth jogging up to her husband. "There you are," his wife said, wrapping her arms around him. "I went by the study but you weren't there." Beth paused, probably realizing they weren't alone. "Oh, Jessie. Enjoying the fresh air?"

It was the second time tonight that Jessie pointed an accusing finger at someone. "Hypocrite!" she shouted at Wrath while hiding the tarot card. "You giving Fhear all kinds of bullshit about duty and here you are bailing on the job."

"It's called a break," the king challenged. "And how do you know about what my son and I argue about?"

Jessie wasn't ashamed when saying, "It's called eavesdropping."

Beth laughed at Jessie's statement. "Should I leave you two?" she joked.

"Nah, I'm out." Jessie strolled right past the couple before pausing. Wrath was blind but she still spun around and glared at the king. "And if you ever assume there's something going on between us, you might want to grow a pair of eyes to see what you'll be eating."

Retreating from the growing laughter, Jessie marched all the way back to the safety of her room without encountering Lassiter. She fell on the bed and held up the stupid tarot card.

Feelings for Fhear? What the two had was some shaky friendship and nothing else. She was not going to be the fool who found love and died at the end of the journey like Gram predicted. The damn promise fate assigned to her wasn't going to happen on her watch. Jessie was going to find Jamie and return home like nothing ever happened. That was something she could easily pretend to do. She would never speak of her wild time with the Black Dagger Brotherhood until the day she died.

Jessie was going to beat destiny no matter what. That was her promise.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter Twenty Eight

First Meal was about to start and Fhear was still waiting for rain or fire or both to come crashing down on the mansion. Instead, it was a quiet night with the exception of everyone talking. Jessie had yet to take her usual spot in the kitchen where the _doggen_ were finishing the meals and she wasn't lingering around the crowd. Even Dhusk and Ahgony were bobbing heads to see if they could spot the human. When none of them spotted her, Fhear turned to Hhavoc who was leaning against the wall. The male pointed to the upper level with clear eyes, indicating that she had yet to descend.

Fhear parted from his friends and approached V. However, as he got closer to the Brother, he noticed the dark circles under his eyes and the way how he muffled more than one yawn. Now that he thought about it, Jessie had been on the phone after that fiasco with Sam. Fhear had been too occupied to ask the male on what the call was over and completely forgot about it. Maybe Jessie took another call during the day, forcing V to listen to it when he should've been asleep.

"She won't be coming down anytime soon," yawned Vishous when Fhear stood in front of him.

The prince tilted his head to the side. "What do you mean?"

V waved his hand. "She was up all morning and half of the afternoon talking to her family. I swear, that Beauvillier line is a bunch of crazies. Did she tell you about the call last night?" Fhear shook his head. "One of her cousins wanted to use her place as a hookup with their girlfriend. That was a fun conversation listening in on even though they were yelling at each other in French. Besides that, her grandmother called her this morning and then it was just cousin after cousin after cousin. Since she's still out, it's safe to assume we're in the clear for tonight."

"Damn." Fhear casted a glance upstairs, half expecting to see Jessie saunter over to the steps with a grin on her face. "It's still a miracle that none of her relatives have come to join her on the hunt."

"Yeah, well, they're too busy keeping someone in the dark." Vishous shared a glance upstairs when Fhear turned his attention on the male. "I'm assuming it's her old man. Her grandmother just said 'he doesn't know' and that was it. Has she ever mentioned her relationship with the man?"

"Not once."

Vishous paused to yawn again. "I keep wonder what their father-daughter-tie is after reading all that shit she got herself in over the years. Either way, no Beauvilliers have turned their eyes on us. I don't think Wrath would appreciate having more of her people causing trouble. And all of them are trouble."

No mention of her father but a lot of talk on her mother's side, Fhear couldn't deny the fact that having more Beauvilliers in Caldwell would cause more than trouble. We had one who already wounded a Brother with a car, who's still waiting to settle the score with three males, causing a financial crisis with escapes, and was prone to kick first and ask later. If they had their hands full with one human, no one was prepared to deal with one or two more Beauvilliers.

Shoving the idea of having more crazed Jessies running around, Fhear patted the Brother on the shoulder and told him wheels up in five. The prince quickly walked away when the male asked him why. As for his friends, they were already on their way to the garage for the drive. All Fhear needed to do was tell his father he was heading out and bail before he was stopped for questioning.

Finding his father taking his spot at the head of the table with his _mahmen_ by his side, Fhear took in a deep breath and approached his parents. Beth saw her son and greeted him, alerting Wrath that they weren't alone.

"Father. _Mahmen_."

"Something wrong?" asked Beth.

Fhear inhaled a second time. "Me and the guys are heading to town. V's with us. See you when we get back."

The prince was already walking away when Wrath called after him. "And where are the five of you going?" his father asked in a demanding voice.

"Nightfall. Bye."

"Wait."

Reluctantly turning around, Fhear faced his father who was now standing. "And why are you going to Nightfall?"

"Wrath—"

"Just wondering."

There was no way that he was telling his father about Bhrutal or the chakram incident. Hearing that a _princep_ used a weapon on his prince was treason and Fhear had this feeling that Bhrutal wasn't the male they wanted as an enemy.

"Fresh air."

Wrath placed a hand on the table, leaning on it as if he was pondering the idea of letting his son leave. He shook his head like what he was thinking didn't sit well. "Fine. Take Rhage and Tohr with you."

"But I already have—"

"I heard. Those are my conditions."

Fhear swallowed a curse as he said, "Fine."

Having the males with him was meant to put his father at ease. However, after the male placed the call when the sun went down, having Vishous with them was like a reassurance on the plan. Having two more Brothers would just cause a scene. And there was the problem with Bhrutal since the male said to only bring four shadows. Fhear hoped the male would make an exception to the extra two.

Either way, the males needed to have a talk and see which side of the board they represented.

* * *

Tonight was a themed night at Nightfall. Employees and customers were dressed up like they were extras from Mad Max, causing Fhear and his party to stick out. It was obvious when the bouncers stared at them from opposite ends of the dance floor and over their heads on the second floor.

Throughout the drive, the older Brothers asked why Fhear wanted to go to Nightfall and was answered with a grunt. The cousins and Ahgony hadn't mentioned their confrontation with the male who owned the club and kept quiet when Fhear said he was meeting him tonight. To the Brothers, the younger males tagged along just to have fun.

A human woman approached the males. Her eyes lingered on Rhage just like usual before looking at Fhear. "The boss is waiting for you." She shifted her gaze back at the others. "Alone," she said with a sly grin.

Before anyone could disagree, three male bouncers circled them from behind, reminding the Brothers that they were outnumbered and unarmed in a crowd full of humans. When accusing glares from the older males were aimed at Fhear, he told them he would be back soon and followed the human upstairs. A sense of déjà vu surrounded the prince as the hidden door opened between the marble statues. The human hopped away as Fhear stepped inside for the male to lock up the hidden entrance. All of the doors to the hidden rooms were closed, indicating that they were in full use tonight. Soon enough, he was on the other side of the hallway, waiting for the male in front of him to open the office door.

"Enter."

Once again locked in the room with Bhrutal, Fhear watched as the male stood up from his desk full of papers and ending a call in Spanish. Last time Fhear heard the male speak was in a different language that he couldn't pinpoint. However, he did remember all of Bhrutal's papers in Spanish, a sure sign that the male was fluent in two foreign languages.

"I said four and you bring six," the male said as a greeting, not once looking at Fhear.

"My father's idea. I didn't have much say," explained the prince.

Bhrutal's eyes stayed focused on the monitors surveying his club, keeping his back to the prince. "I don't care what your father said," he said with a heavy voice. "I say something and I expect it to be followed."

"Not everything goes as planned," Fhear snapped, surprising himself. His tone must've surprised Bhrutal because the male was looking at him with narrow eyes.

Leaving his spot and circling around his desk, Bhrutal approached Fhear the same way he did last night. With each step closer to the prince, Fhear continued to battle the instinct to turn and run. The instinct screamed like crazy when Bhrutal overshadowed Fhear. Now that they were standing up against one another, Fhear realized how much taller the male was. Leaner instead of muscular, Bhrutal had to be half a foot taller or more than him, adding a buster to the predator aura he had about him.

"I said last warning," he purred into Fhear's ear. "That applies for tonight. I don't do well when someone doesn't do as told."

"What about your humans? Do you apply your rules on them?"

Bhrutal chuckled. "They do as they are told. It's easy for them to follow my rules, making my nights run without trouble."

Fhear sucked in a breath when Bhrutal pushed him down into a chair, gripping the arms when the chair tipped back a bit. Fearing over the loss of balance had nothing when Bhrutal grabbed the prince by the hair, jerking his head back. Looking down at the male trapped under his grip, Bhrutal stared down at Fhear with a dark look in his eyes.

"I could have your friends punished for this," he said in a low voice. "Or I could punish you and not give a damn what the Brotherhood tried to do."

"I didn't come to receive threats," growled Fhear.

Bhrutal released him but didn't back up an inch. It literally felt like a predator was thinking on how to eat its prey that happened to be trapped under its claws.

"Before we begin, I want you to know that I have yet to place fealty to your father and that is because of you. You have not shown me your worth so I have no reason to follow you."

In other words, he wouldn't hesitate in sending Fhear back to the others bruised or in a box.

"I do business outside the city, that part is true. And before you think that is suspicious, let us remember that a handful of _princeps_ do the same. Cohnrad and I happen to be former partners and speak time to time. As for when you caught the two of us together, he was asking for my advice on a project he was starting. And if you think on investigating on this, take my word on it that my service was enough to convince the male to stop before he started. What I do in private is not up for discussion and I don't appreciate it that you sent someone else to do your own work. Now that we have that out of the way, anything else you want to ask me?"

Fhear was trying everything to keep his composure. He could see in Bhrutal's eyes that this was some sort of test. The prince being the prey, taunted by Bhrutal, the predator, seeing what would happen before he finished the game.

"Your chakram."

"My sire was forward in his blood learning to defend themselves, especially in weaponry. I may have not been here when the raids happened so long ago, but my sire was and he killed every single _lesser_ , not one of them making it past the garden. The chakrams are my specialty as were the hira shurikens for your father." Bhrutal leaned in further. "I take it you are familiar with your father's weapons. The way how you caught it without doubt. That is not enough to convince me to pledge myself to the king."

When Bhrutal waited for Fhear to speak, all the prince could ask was, "What do you want from me?"

The male finally inched back, keeping his position over Fhear but not as daunting. "Your father was a great warrior. His father, your grandfather, was just as great. What of you? Do as your father says and not challenge it? Listen to what others say and go it? You may believe yourself to be strong but you are not. I don't give a rat's ass if you have a percentage of human in you. Nothing about you proves that you have the skill or will to rule your people. I refuse to follow someone as such."

A strong leader. What Bhrutal wanted from Fhear was for him to accept his role as prince and to become a king who was like those before him. He wanted a king who would protect those under his rule and kill those who harmed his people.

And the first step was to truly challenge his father.

As if his eyes held the realization of the male's words, Brutal backed away so that Fhear could stand. The prince made sure his legs wouldn't give as he stood. When all seemed well, he looked up at the male. Whatever darkness he held resided in the male's eyes, watching everything Fhear did.

"What do you want from me?" the prince repeated.

The darkness thickened, turning Bhrutal's eyes even darker. "Two nights from now, you will fight me. The six you brought tonight are the only ones to witness. Any more and the shred of respect I have for you will be no more. If you defeat me, I will acknowledge you as my prince. As for my fealty, let's just say you have to win the fight first."

Fhear began stuttering words only to go silent when Bhrutal recovered the gap between them.

"You will show up here at twelve. No sooner, no later. Fight me like your life depends on it. That is the only advice I will give you."

For a moment, Fhear stood there with the challenge ringing in his head. The next, he was falling back into the chair and flipping over on the hard floor. Landing on his side and chocking, the prince inhaled through his nose only to choke on the blood running down his throat. He brought his hand up to his nose and flinched from the slightest touch.

"That is for breaking your word for tonight. Now go. I have a business to run."

Stumbling to his feet and clutching his broken nose, Fhear watched as Bhrutal went back to his chair and sorted through papers like he wasn't even there. Considering the punch to the face as a dismissal, the prince easily found his way out of the hidden building and shoved his way past the humans and back to the dance floor. He cursed in his hand when his friends and Brothers sawthe blood slipping to the floor.

"What the hell happened?" demanded Tohr.

"Nothing," Fhear coughed, accidently breathing through his damaged nose. "Let's go."

"Who did this?" growled Rhage. "Tell us who and we'll beat them shitless."

This time Fhear stayed silent. And when the Brothers continued to get him to confess, they fell silent when a pair of green eyes full of anger stared straight at them. With the message clear, Fhear shoved past them and head to the exit with his friends behind him.

Hhavoc appeared next to him, nodding back up in Bhrutal's direction. "Calm," the male whispered before falling in step with his cousin.

In two nights, Fhear was to fight Bhrutal to prove his worth to the male. He had no clue how skilled the male was and if he would be bringing his choice of weapons with him. And if Hhavoc said that Bhrutal had been calm during the entire meeting, the thought of him letting loose was enough to terrify him.

None of that mattered now. Bhrutal was a powerful male in the right places and was loyal to those he saw fit. Fhear would have to come out on top or he would lose someone who could've been their greatest ally. He intended to take the male's advice to heart because he wasn't going to leave the fight until Bhrutal finally accepted him as the male he himself wanted to believe he was.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter Twenty Nine

"Damn it!"

Jessie smirked when she kicked Octavia's ass in Mortal Combat. With her character defeated, the female reluctantly dropped a hundred in a cap resting on the coffee table. Inside the cap was a nice thousand bucks just waiting to hit Jessie's pocket.

As Octavia handed the controller over to Evelyn or Frédérique, those occupying the billiard paused when they heard Wrath shout at the top of his lungs. Fhear and his friends had returned only an hour after leaving for Caldwell with the prince sporting a broken nose. The king must've had some super power or something because he knew of his son's injury before anyone told him.

For once in her stay, Jessie was more than delighted that the spotlight wasn't on her. And she needed a break from all of her mischief. Morning and afternoon calls from home depleted her of any sleep and she was still waking up even though her day was well into the middle of her nightly schedule. At least she had some violent video games to kill the time. What made the games more entertaining was when those who joined her decided to put some money where their mouths were.

Jessie had yet to lose a fight.

With who she thought was Frédérique as her next opponent, the two started the first round. Cheers and shouts coming from every direction of the younger generation, a disappointed sigh came from the crowd when Jessie won. Frédérique took a moment to stare blankly at the human, the emptiness sending a shiver down her spine. Something weird was up with her and Jessie wasn't ready to figure it out yet. A nice reminder to keep quiet was the fact that Frédérique's mother was Victoria.

Starting round two and going full throttle, Jessie didn't once take her eyes off the game as she drew her legs up so Paige could take a seat. Even though the two didn't say anything during the fight, there was some eerie distance between the two. It started that night when Paige used her ability on Jessie when she tried to murder Qhuinn. Telekinesis didn't scare Jessie in the slightest, just surprised her when it was used. The reason for the distance was that Jessie didn't want to ask the girl was if she got the ability by a random god messing with her bloodline or from something else.

As if the unanswered question was bothering her, Paige cleared her throat the same time Jessie scoured another victory. Hat stuffed with another hundred and Dhanika taking the reins, no one noticed as Jessie turned half her attention to Paige.

"I've had this feeling that you wanted to ask me something," the girl mumbled.

"Uh-huh," answered Jessie. She paused to throw a double kick command. "You can move things with your mind."

"Yeah, what about it?"

Jessie selected the same character and waited for Nalla to choose one. "Considering all the shit I've gotten myself in ever since arriving in this damn city, my knowledge of the supernatural has kind of expanded recently." She started pushing buttons, sending her character in a barrage of kicks. Nalla cursed as she tried to defend herself against her opponent. "So is your little ability god given like my family or something else?"

Paige slumped against the couch, making herself appear smaller. Her reaction alerted Jessie that she just stumbled into personal territory. She'd done her own slumping over the ages when she didn't want attention on her so it was easy to relate. She was already getting ready to apologize when Paige shook her head. Bringing a pillow to her chest and thumbing the threads, she remained quiet for a couple of minutes.

"I gained this ability when I died."

Jessie annihilated Nalla. The female shrieked before smashing the buttons to start the second round.

"There was a car wreck and my parents didn't make it. A piece of metal impaled me and I died on the operation table. Then I came back. And this." Paige released the pillow, watching as it started lifting itself in the air. "I got this in return." She clutched the pillow when it plopped back on her legs.

"Sorry about your folks."

Paige nodded, playing with the pillow once again. "It was a while ago. Back then, I didn't want this ability, so I did whatever it took to keep it at bay. It was so bad that I turned to using heroin. That's how I got all wrapped up in this. Dhusk and Hhavoc caught me buying from my supplier. Turned out he was a _lesser_."

Round two ended in another victory for Jessie. Rayna pushed her way up to the front, snatching the controller from the female.

"Looks like you have control over it," Jessie said as she started the game.

"Now. Back then, it was so out of control that I accidently set off EMPs. Vishous didn't like that."

"That fucker doesn't like anything." Another pause and a billionth victory for Jessie. She grinned when Paige laughed from her joke.

"Lassiter helped me when I died a second time." This time Jessie looked over at the girl, barely paying attention to the game even though she was winning. "I got into some trouble in hopes of helping the others in a raid. Managed to come back. Guess my little trip to the other side added to my uniqueness. I could start seeing spirits and that was scary. Spent a whole month with Lassiter to master my telekinesis. The Scribe Virgin was impressed and removed the seeing thing."

"Scribe Virgin?"

Paige nodded to the vampires. "She's their goddess."

"Huh." The TV glowed with victory colors. Now there was some bickering on who could win the pot back before their parents found out. Jessie rolled up from her lounging position and sat right next to Paige. "So it's not god given?"

Paige shook her head. "Sam said it was from the spiritual world. He compared it to Octavia's mother." She pointed to the female sitting cross-legged on the floor. "Gabrielle could see the future long ago. After Sam regained his memories of his past, he said that the ability was spirit related as well. Something about certain people or bloodlines having a stronger connection to the other side. None of my family had that connection, making me special and vulnerable when I died. If I had kids, it's a fifty-fifty if they would get the ability."

"And Octavia and her brothers?"

"No. Gabrielle gave up her ability to be with Nightmahre. The deal she made with the Scribe Virgin ended the line. I have no connection to the gods whatsoever."

Gods. Spirits. Futures. Even Jessie had her limits when it came to the supernatural.

Jessie kicked her feet up on the table and crossed her arms behind her head. "Great. I think I would take spirits over gods any day."

"Why is that?"

"Because gods think it's funny fucking with people to pass the time!"

Paige wasn't the only one who laughed at Jessie's distasteful comment about the gods. After displaying how powerful her kicks were when Sam taunted her, no one doubted that the god who messed with her bloodline had a hit on his head.

"Hey, Jessie!"

Hearing her name shouted to the rooftop, she twisted over before hissing.

The triplets had her tarot cards.

"You little shits!" She flew over the couch and tried to catch the brothers, only to fall on her face as the three took off separate directions.

For days, the brothers were notorious for going through her stuff when she wasn't around. Going through her underwear was one thing she could handle. It usually ended with a fist making contact on three skulls. Now they had the tarot cards Grams allowed her to borrow. This deserved a much severe punishment.

Håkon, Zamir, Yuri, or whoever dashed right past Jessie, taking off to the doors when they smacked into someone. Cards flew up in the air, scattering over the floor. Jessie marched right up to the little bastard and jerked him up to his feet by the neckline if his shirt. Seeing their brother in the hands of the enemy, the other two came rushing to his aid, casually tossing the cards to the floor.

With her temper boiling over the rim, Jessie drew back her fist and was prepared to bring it down with everything she had when she saw who was standing in the doorway. Her eyes darted over Claudya's shocked face and Ahgony's laughing, focusing on Sam who was standing behind the two.

"What did they do this time?" he asked.

Not releasing her prisoner, Jessie swooped down and held up the Hanged Man card. "Going through my lingerie is one thing," she snarled. "Taking my cards is a one-way ticket to hell!"

"Are those tarot cards?" Dhusk poked his head over the male's shoulder. Next to him was his cousin.

"What are you doing?" she asked, waving the card around and kicking the brothers aside.

"We go off with a warning," mumbled Hhavoc as he shoved his way inside. "This time the others are taking the blunt of Wrath's fury." The male picked up the King of Wands, quirking an eyebrow.

Sam grabbed his son by the ear and jerked him from Jessie's grasp. His brothers gave shy smiles before taking higher ground on the opposite ends of the room. Everyone laughed while Jessie stood there seething. "I'm pretty sure your _mahmen_ will love to hear how your day went," he scolded.

Having zero patients with the parent dueling punishment on their kid, Jessie began picking up her cards with some help. When all the cards were in a nice stack in her hands, she took in a breath to steady her racing heart. Sure her heart wasn't going to jump out anytime soon, she was prepared to go put up the cards when she noticed some curious eyes watching her.

"What?" she snapped.

It was Claudya who held up her hand with a cheery smile. "Can you read fortunes?"

Jessie swore she could feel every hair on her body stand.

* * *

Fhear glared at nothing in particular with a bag of ice against his nose. The bleeding had stopped a while back, but the throbbing on his face had yet to fade. And then there was the fun fact that he was waiting for his father to stop arguing with the Brothers. Unlike his friends, the older males didn't care if they insulted their king. They threw insults back at Wrath like they were in a boxing ring and planned to go all rounds on him.

Sitting next to Fhear was Cohnrad and Vyktor. Claudya was somewhere in the mansion with Ahgony and the cousins by her side. Even past the bickering and the thick doors, Fhear could hear something going on somewhere in another room. No doubt it had to do with Jessie.

The males didn't seem uncomfortable as they patiently waited for Wrath to finish. When it seemed that their wait would go on for another few minutes, Vyktor edged over to the prince and asked what the fight was about. He and his father showed up a little late to the game so it was understandable if he didn't know. Fhear just held up the icepack to reveal the swelling around his nose and whispered that he forgot to block.

"Fhear."

Sitting up straight, the prince winced from the sharp pain radiating from his face. "What?" he answered to his father.

Wrath waved to V, Tohr, and Rhage since he knew where the males stood from their voices. "Apparently these assholes don't know who did this. Mind filling in the holes on their story."

Fhear rolled his eyes. "Jaga. He owns the club."

"And why did he punch you?"

"Disagreement."

"And how do you know this Jaga?" V asked, clearly his pride wounded that he didn't know who owned Nightfall.

"Does it matter?"

"If he struck his prince, then yes," growled his father.

"Look." Fhear got up to his feet and tossed the pack. "No doubt you want to string the male up for hitting me. But since it was me who didn't do as promised, I kind of deserve this." He pointed to his face. "And I don't need to explain on how I know him."

Fhear heard someone shift behind him in their seat. Taking a peek, he noticed how Cohnrad was staring at the rug.

"He—"

"Father! He punched me. That's the end of it. Now can we change the subject or leave?"

Wrath sat back in his throne. "We'll talk about it later," he promised to his son. "Now, Cohnrad? What can we do for you?"

The male stood. "Actually, I think it's already been covered." Ignoring all the confused looks, Cohnrad meet Fhear in the eye, indicating that he knew about the prince's little investigation. "And I just wanted to accompany my daughter since she seems to be spending more time here than at home."

Apparently no one told him about Jessie because everyone besides Cohnrad and his son started examining anything they laid their eyes on.

"Well," spoke Wrath, "since we don't have to tackle any official business, I guess we can call it for the night."

Fhear was more than ready to leave the room. Being in it with his father and everyone else felt as if he was suffocating. And given the fact that he would have to be fighting Bhrutal in two nights, the stress was overworking his heart more than usual. Closest to the doors, the prince opened the wide as he took in a fresh breath of air.

He cringed when he found Lassiter standing on the other end.

"What do you want?" he growled at the angel.

The smug bastard japed a thumb over his shoulder. "Your girl is reading fortunes. You want to see?"

A shiver ran up Fhear's spine.

With Lassiter grinning like a fool and the others behind him, the first thing Fhear did was take off to where the angel pointed to. The doors to the billiard was wide open, giving him a clear view on what was going on inside.

Sitting on one end of one of the pool tables was Claudya and Ahgony. Across from them was Jessie. Cards forming an arc rested in the center on top of the green table. Bodies huddled around behind the two, inching close as Claudya began to pull three cards from the arc. Jessie swooped the cards in one sweep, creating a stack and placing them to the side.

Fhear jumped when Cohnrad pushed the prince aside and stormed into the room. His daughter's head snapped in his direction, her expression full of surprise the same time Jessie flipped the first card over.

"The High Priestess."

Two towers, one black and the other white, sat on both sides of a woman clad in blue. At her feet was a golden crescent moon with a gold background over the woman's shoulders. A white crown rested on her head.

Jessie folded her arms across her chest and tilted her head. "Now that's one way to start a reading." She tapped the edge of the card, oblivious that Claudya's father was glaring at the human. "The High Priestess is one of many things. She is who keeps the balance, full of mystery, and voices her inner thoughts. She also has the Shadow about her, the negative that not even she knows about. But if she is willing to accept that part about her, she is the best judge for any situation."

Jessie began to reach for the second card when Cohnrad snatched her wrist. Many eyes pinpointed at the male who continued to hold the human's arm with such a grip.

"You got a problem?" Jessie asked in a dangerously low voice.

"I don't appreciate parlor tricks," snarled the male.

Jerking her arm free, Jessie locked eyes with Cohnrad. "I don't advertise parlor tricks," she whispered. "I only interpret what the cards say. It is up to the person to believe or not. Now back off. I need to finish your daughter's fortune."

Not waiting for Cohnrad to argue, the human flicked the second card over.

"Ace of Cups."

A hand held a golden cup overflowing with water. Liquid pouring over the hand and creating a sea, on top of the cup was a white dove flying to the rim of the cup with a circle at the tip of its beak.

"Unlike the Lovers card which is of two people finding their matching half, the Ace of Cups is of a card that is of love and what is to come. Of course, the card imitates real life so don't expect everything to be perfect without its bumps. If you can overcome such obstacles, you and the person on the other end will discover a life like never before."

Fhear glanced over at Ahgony, his friend staring at the card like it actually predicted his entire life. Claudya also watched the card, no longer interested in her father's thoughts on the reading. The prince noticed how her eyes shifted back and forth between the card and the male sitting right next to her.

Next to the revealed cards was the last card of the three. Jessie reached over to reveal the last card.

"Wheel of Fortune."

In the center of the card was a wheel in the shape of a compass. On top of the wheel was a blue sphinx. On the bottom half on the left side as a snake and a red being with a head the shape of a fox on the right. On each corner of the card were golden creatures with wings on their backs, either laying on or flying over gray clouds.

For a few minutes, Jessie sat silently as she interpreted the card. "The Wheel of Fortune is a card of destiny and fate. There are times when a person's actions might alter both for the greater good or not. If you act wrong, you may end up on the wrong side and have to start all over. Then there's the fact that the Wheel is already set and that it will never change no matter how hard you try."

With all three cards revealed, it was now time to decipher what they were predicting.

"You, Claudya, are a sound mind who knows when to judge things without any persuasion. You have the Shadow just like everyone else but seem to except it without a second thought. Your decision has led to you falling in love, but you worry if it is true. The High Priestess in you ways these feelings of yours, wondering if the decision you feel in your heart is the right one. And once you make your decision, fate will spin and lead you and the one you choose down a path of difficulty. It will then be up to the both of you to see each other through to the other end. Only then will you and this person understand the love you hold for one another."

There was some low whistling going on as Jessie collected her cards. For those who didn't know what she was talking about, they might've assumed the fortune was about Fhear and Claudya. As for those who did know, they carefully watched the female and Ahgony. The two shifted in their seats, obviously playing the prediction through their minds.

With their turn up, some started waving their hands for Jessie to read their future. Jessie answered with a snappy remark and started to leave when Cohnrad cleared his throat. Remembering the tension between the two only minutes ago, no one spoke as the male kindly asked his daughter to step aside so he could take a seat. Jessie glared at him when it he sat across from her.

"You said it is up to the person to believe what these silly cards say. Well, how about you do one for me?"

Jessie bared her teeth. "I don't predict for family or people with attitude."

"Enlighten me."

Glaring at the male full of hate, Jessie slammed the stack in front of Cohnrad and ordered him to shuffle. Splitting the stack in half and shuffling like a pro, he returned the stack to Jessie. She placed the stack on her right and created another arc all the way to the left.

"Remove three cards and leave them faced down."

Cohnrad didn't waste time in selecting three. Fhear noticed how the male didn't care on which cards he picked. In Cohnrad's mind, he didn't believe in card readings and clearly didn't appreciate on how she was filling ludicrous ideas in his daughter's head.

Jessie revealed the first card.

"Knight of Pentacles."

A knight sat on the back of a black horse over a barren landscape with a yellow backdrop. In the knight's hand was a single pentacle.

"A knight full of responsibility unlike its brothers' cards, he put his mind to anything with the hope of success. Sometimes the reasonable aspect if of the person's nature of an occurrence of the past that brings the need out of him. The Knight is calculating and loyal, willing to put himself before others if he must."

There was a low snicker from the male, flaming the already hostile temper of Jessie. She was less than gentle when she flipped the next card over.

The anger in her began to fade when card was faced up.

"Justice."

Sitting on a throne as a man dressed in a red robe. In his left hand was a sword while a balancing scale dangled from his right hand. Above his golden crown was a black curtain held by two stone pillars.

There was another lengthy pause as Jessie looked back and forth between the two cards. It probably wasn't good by how dark her eyes grew, the blue overshadowing the gray.

"Judgment is what it means. The card is of someone who has seen a wrong and knows it cannot go unpunished. What the person does is to right the wrongs of the world." This time Jessie paused, bringing a sense of unease to the crowd. "But there's also flipside to the card. For all that the person has done up to now, karma will tip over and come down on them. A heavy motivator for such good deeds and for their undoing may lie in the past. Regret is what drives the person and will be their downfall. The Justice card is life, telling life is unfair and may turn in a way one didn't predict."

Now it was quiet in the room. Tension rose as Jessie took in a sharp breath before unveiling the last card.

The color in her face drained from the sight of the final card.

"Ten of swords."

A man at night laid on the earth with ten swords stabbing him in the back.

Cohnrad picked up the card.

All too soon, Jessie snatched the card and started picking up the other two. "It's stupid prediction," she announced as she stood up with the stack tucked to her chest. "Like I said, it's up to the person to believe or not. And you three!" she snapped at the triplets. "Stop going through my shit, you little bastards."

And like that, Jessie left an incomplete prediction for all to ponder.

To break the stifling silence, Vyktor reached over to his father when the older male stood from his seat. Excusing himself with a weak explanation of him suddenly remembering he needed to attend to some business, Cohnrad departed in the same direction Jessie took as well.

While some tried to lighten the gloomy mood, Fhear followed Cohnrad and lingered by the doorway with Hhavoc behind him. He glanced over at his friend who held a finger to his lips before tapping his head. The male then pointed to Cohnrad who pulled Jessie to the side, most likely demanding what the card meant.

"That last card really messed with him," whispered Hhavoc. "He's throwing off so many echoes they're overshadowing any other sound."

"Why wouldn't he?"

Both males peered over and found Frédérique leaning next to them. She imitated her older nephew's action with a finger to the lips. Fhear could see the panic running through Hhavoc's face, realizing that someone just found out about him hearing echoes. However, when Frédérique didn't brag on how she knew, he began to relax a bit. Unlike her twin, Frédérique was a strange one with secrets of her own. Finding out that her nephew had one didn't seem to bother her and she wasn't the type to go blab it to someone.

"The Ten of Swords is a serious card."

"How serious?" Fhear asked.

The female shrugged her shoulders, those luminous gray eyes watching her bare toes. "It's a negative card. Deadly. Destructive. His choices will lead him to his death. The swords represent the certainty that he will die."

Frédérique held up her fist. She ticked one finger. "Knight of Pentacles. Loyal person by nature." Second finger popped up. "Justice. A person who sees a wrong and will do what must be done for the good of people." Third finger appeared. "Ten of Swords. The person's loyalty and sense of justice will kill him." Frédérique curled around the door frame, staring at Cohnrad and Jessie speaking in hushed voices. "That male is no doubt a loyal subject to your father. So loyal that I wouldn't doubt that he would take matters into his own hands in order to protect him and you. But as the Justice card said, I think something happened to him, something he did that causes his unweaving loyalty."

As Frédérique went quiet, Fhear didn't need her to fill in the gaps for the last card. The cards Cohnrad was proof enough that the male was up to something, something that he and Bhrutal covered up as simple businesses. And the way how he picked up the last card, the male knew something was coming his way and soon.

Cohnrad was up to something and it was going to get him killed.


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter Thirty

Fhear stepped to the side before the gym doors could slap him in the face. Given how hard the door whacked against the wall, Jessie was in a highly pissed mood. She even snapped at Ahgony when the male waved at her. Then again, she did read Cohnrad's doomed fate a few hours ago. Fhear was still surprised that she agreed to do this for him. Maybe it was the excuse to kick his ass that intrigued her.

It took the rest of the night for the prince to evade his father's repeated question on who punched him in the face. Cohnrad never showed up after the reading, no doubt doing what he really did on his own or with Bhrutal. And there was the fun fact that Fhear would half only this morning and the next to prepare himself for the fight with the male. It was too risky for Dhusk and Hhavoc to stay the day over at the mansion, their presence alerting the others that something was up.

Locking the door and giving it a tight tug, Fhear was more than satisfied when it hardly budge. Spinning around to face the two, he noted how Jessie wasn't wearing any workout clothes but a pair of short-shorts and a blue halter crop top. Her feet were bare, something Fhear was more than grateful since he didn't feel like wearing her shoe size on his face.

"So how we doing this?" she asked while putting her hair in a messy ponytail.

Fhear stretched his arms over his head, flexing his muscles for the long day. "I guess come at me like you would usually do in the streets." He glanced at Ahgony. His friend tilted his head to the side, pondering the idea before nodding. "Yeah, that."

A mischievous grin popped on Jessie's face.

"Awesome." She popped one leg up behind her and grabbed her ankle, stretching the joint out. "So remind me why you want me to help serve you your own ass?"

"Because I'm going to be fighting someone tomorrow night."

"And no one besides you or your pals know?"

"That's it."

Jessie hopped in a circle, looking at Ahgony. "And you're cool with someone wiping the floor with your friend?"

The male shrugged his shoulders. "Fhear got himself in this one. I think it's only fair he try to fix it." His friend faced the prince. "I still say this is a bad idea."

"Duly noted. Can we get started?"

Ahgony took one side of the mat with Jessie on the opposite, Fhear standing in the middle. The two took up their fighting positions as the prince stood unprotected. He faced Jessie, slowly twisted on his heel so he could see Ahgony, then arched back over to face the human. Fhear didn't doubt he could take his friend on if it was just the two of them. However, the reason he asked Jessie to help was because he only saw a portion on how she fought. Having her going full out and mixed with Ahgony's attacks would help him prepare.

Fhear brought up his hands.

Jessie tore straight for him and jumped in the air. Coming down with a kick to the head, she missed when Fhear hopped to the side but went low when he tried to return the kick. He barely blocked the back-kick she sent to his face. As Fhear stumbled back, he spotted Ahgony go around and attack with a spinning-hill kick. Fhear tried to fall in the direction of the kick in hopes of dodging when he fell to the ground and gagged.

Lodged in his gut was Jessie's heel.

"Again!" she shouted.

The human and male jumped back to their separate ends of the mat as Fhear pushed himself back to his feet. Barely standing with his hands up, Fhear took one look and saw Jessie darting from side to side at him. Sticking with her jumping tactic, she threw a sharp round house which missed the prince but was followed up with a second on and a third one with double the momentum. The third kick caught the prince in the shoulder, connecting with his bone and sending waves up and down his arm.

A tight arm wrapped itself around Fhear's chest and threw him over Ahgony's body, sending Fhear to the mat on his head. Although his neck suffered some damage, he managed to roll out of the way when Jessie came down with another heel attack. His movement was lazy and Jessie was too fast, her striking him when she was only on her knees. Falling on his ass and shuffling to his feet once more, the only thing the prince could do was protect his head and chest when Ahgony threw a punch at him, sending waves of shock through both arms.

"Again!" Jessie commanded.

Fhear decided to attack first, hopping around Jessie and going after his friend. Sneaking under the male's guard, the prince grabbed Ahgony by the collar and threw him to the ground. He quickly grabbed the male's arm and twisted, imagining he would do the same thing with a _lesser_. But unlike the streets, Fhear couldn't bring himself to breaking Ahgony's arm.

Jessie landed a solid kick in Fhear's face.

Falling on his back with the world flashing in bright lights, he sucked in some air only to choke. Less than twenty four hours and the prince suffered two broken noses.

"Fhear!"

Clutching the bleeding mess, the prince slowly sat up and started coughing blood, indicating that he accidently inhaled. Ahgony was by his side, trying to see how bad the damage was. When Fhear didn't see Jessie checking on him, he looked up and found her pacing around with an annoyed expression.

"You said like real life," she growled.

Fhear lifted his hand, revealing the steady stream of blood. Jessie waved her hand like it was nothing but a tiny cut. "If my cousins can finish a fight with broken bones and half their eyesight, then a busted nose is nothing. Now get up and come at me again. We don't have all day."

Jumping to his feet and stomping up to Jessie, Ahgony poked the human in the chest and told her they needed a quick break. Fhear flinched as he watched Jessie took the male's finger and twisted, sending Ahgony to the ground on his knees, beating Fhear's time by half.

"It's okay," Fhear said, spitting more blood to the mat. "I asked her to come at me for real. What kind of fight would it be if I asked her to go easy seconds later?"

Jessie released Ahgony and resumed her stance. "Now that's what I'm talking about."

"Whatever," grumbled Ahgony.

Taking his place in the center once more, Fhear decided to leave his nose broken, thinking that he wouldn't have time to fix it if he was in a real fight. Having Jessie remind him made the way she attacked more life threatening than a sparring match. Ahgony still seemed hesitant but followed her lead when she began the assault.

As the human threw the first kick with the male running around her to attack from the side, the prince began to teach his mind to see his friends as the enemy right now. For all he knew, this little trick would have to come to play when he went up against Bhrutal. The male must've had training given by how confident he was in challenging Fhear, making it difficult to know how far out of class the prince was. And Bhrutal was a _princep_ to boot, adding a bit of conflict of harming someone who could support him and his father or turn.

These thoughts helped Fhear during the training session. Bhrutal was the enemy until the fight between the two was up. Once the winner came on top, they would see if they were allies or not. Until then, Fhear would have to think of the male as an opponent who he had to defeat no matter what. And the best way for him to get better train with his friend and Jessie, a human who was coming at him like he was a piece of meat.

The smile on her face made him smile.

* * *

"I'll admit, you don't suck."

Fhear bit back the remark and wiped the blood from his face. Flinching from contact, the prince looked at his beaten face in the mirror. His nose had stopped bleeding some time ago, leaving the cut Jessie inflicted on him not long ago. The bruises were from Ahgony who was always impressed on how the human managed to break skin.

The three of them had gone at the training session up to the sunset. Ahgony cleaned up first and unlocked the gym doors on his leave. As for Fhear and Jessie, they were hanging in the locker room and tending to their wounds. Well, more like Fhear because Jessie was the lucky one out of the group because the prince barely placed a bruise on her.

Jessie had been a wily thing during the training. Sure, there were times when she and Ahgony were in sync with one another to attack Fhear, leaving him on the ground more than his feet. But when she came at the prince by herself, the confidence she held in her speed and kicks was amazing. The human didn't hide the fact that she hated ending up with Týr's little enhancement but she loved to fight. It was like trying to fight a lightning bolt coming at you from every direction.

During the training, Fhear realized how weak he really was. The only times he'd fought was when he had someone by his side and a weapon in hand. Take away those factors and his fighting ability was average. Perhaps that was what everyone saw and why his father pulled him from the streets so early.

Fhear snapped back to reality when Jessie threw her top on his head.

Pulling the top and tossing it on a bench, the prince looked over and rolled his eyes as Jessie shimmied out of her shorts. She quickly discarded her bra and panties in Fhear's direction and turned on one of the showers. Stepping under the cold water, she shrieked and held still until the water warmed up.

"Do you think I'm ready?" Fhear asked as he went back to tending to his wounds.

"For your big fight, you mean?"

"Yeah."

Fingers in her hair, the human rotated on the slick tile and face Fhear. The prince's eyes lingered on her full breasts before averting them to her face. Jessie didn't react to his gaze or cared that she was taking a shower in front of him. "Did this friend of yours say anything about rules?"

The prince shook his head. "Never popped up."

Jessie looked up and crossed her arms over her chest, causing her breasts to bob. "Well, I would say you have a thirty percent chance of winning with fists alone. What about your old man's hira shurikens? You said you were good with those."

During the two minute breaks, Fhear had mentioned his weapon of choice for battles and actually impressed Jessie.

"Don't know." Turning off the faucet and wiping his face with a towel, Fhear approached Jessie and leaned against the wall, his clothes now getting wet. "Bhrutal apparently has a knack for chakrams. They're pretty similar to the hira shuriken. If I were to fight with them, there's no doubt the male would use them against me."

Groaning in frustration, Jessie grabbed a fistful of her hair and twisted. "This fucking sucks." She released her hair and started pacing. "If we only had more time, we could actually make you battle worthy. I swear, my uncle would be putting me through the ringer if he found out I failed at couching you."

The mention of her uncle caught Fhear's interest. "Du Bois or Beauvillier side?"

Jessie paused, quirking her eyebrow.

"Your uncle."

"Oh. Du Bois."

"You don't talk that much about your father's side. It's always Beauvillier this and Beauvillier that. Kind of makes me wonder what goes on during family night."

Talking about her family seemed to take some of the tension from Jessie. Ending the shower and shaking her head, the human waved her hand in a circle. "Every night is family night," she laughed. "We Beauvilliers stick together. Can't go through New Awlins without bumping into one. Can't get out of a fight if you start one with us. We practically run the streets."

"And the du Bois side?"

Her enthusiasm dropped in her voice. "Not that big of a family. We stay in touch every now and again."

"Surely your father—"

"My old man and I don't talk."

Something rung off the edge of her voice as she spoke. Fhear felt as if he knew this new tone better than anyone. His suspicions were answered when Jessie said, "I'm not stupid. I know Vishous did a background check on me. I mean, a human putting the hurt on strangers in a strange city is bound to have a track record."

Fhear couldn't help but laugh. "Yeah, we did." His laughter died as he remembered the reports. Elliot du Bois, a Navy man, father of twins, and was supposedly being kept in the dark about his son's whereabouts. Only bad blood could answer as to why so many people were going through extreme lengths.

"Well, we just don't get along," Jessie announced with a shrug. "And it's not like he's close with his own family. Never saw a big deal of knowing his side and never cared. My name might not be Beauvillier but they're my true family."

Again, Fhear saw the reports in his mind. Saw Abrial Beauvillier's name in a medical report. He would never ask Jessie if the reason why she was so close to her mother's side was because the woman died giving birth to her children. Knowing that her mother didn't make it when his _mahmen_ did was just too much.

"Anyway! If we want to—"

The doors to the locker room opened.

Momentarily confused, Fhear's body reacted by grabbing Jessie and bending down. The landing wasn't graceful because the human slipped, bringing the prince down with her. They both clamped their jaws shut and held their breath as they hear people at the far end of the room. Footsteps headed in their direction before stopping. A locker door opened and slammed shut. "Got it!" someone called out as they retreated out of the room. Once the door closed, Fhear finally released the breath he'd been holding.

Only to realize that he was on top of Jessie.

Aware of the close proximity between them, Fhear kept perfectly still as he stared down at Jessie's stunned expression. With them frozen in place, the prince's eyes shifted from side to side as if his vision couldn't focus. When he shook his head to clear his blurry thoughts, he soon found himself staring at Jessie's throat.

The prince was unaware of how he licked his lips or how parched he suddenly was. Not a single memory popped up on when he last fed. It must've been a while because he nuzzled against the human's skin and grazed it with his fangs. A strong hiss escaped his dry lips, burning his throat even further.

Whatever power over Fhear broke when he was flipped over onto his back.

"Hungry, huh?"

Hands pinning his arms and legs straddling his hip, Jessie leaned down on him and nipped his neck. Fhear growled from the contact, fighting against her hold on him to switch their positions. This sudden reaction in him grew stronger as Jessie dragged her tongue up his neck and tugged at his earlobe. He managed to break free of her hold only to have her fingers clamp against him and throw his arms back to the ground.

She bit down on his lope, chuckling to herself as the prince strained under her. His body felt paralyzed under her hold, his arms rock solid as she released one and trailed her fingertip down his chest. Fhear released a primal growl when Jessie's hand slid under his sweats and gripped his cock. Her taunting laugh grew heavy with her tight hold over him.

"I think we can help one another," she whispered into his ear.

As if her words unlocked something in him, Fhear's body acted on its own as he finally rolled over, bringing Jessie underneath. He was kept at bay with a solid hand against his chest, that smile of hers only goading him. Fhear shook as Jessie tightened her hold on his hard cock, smiling over the control she possessed. With her grip firm and the prince not going anywhere, she drew back her hand on his chest and tugged at his shirt. Fhear didn't fight as she drew it over his head and waited patiently for him to slip his arms outs. The next part was torturous for the prince as she slowly removed his sweats, not once releasing her hand from his cock.

Once Fhear was naked, Jessie jerked her hand and the prince snarled, being forced back over with her on top. Jessie flattened herself on his chest and tossed her hair out of the way to bare her throat. With her throat within striking reach, she began to move her hand up and down.

Fhear wrapped his fingers in her hair and sunk his fangs in her flesh.

A taste like none other flooded his mouth. Sweeter than any Chosen, Fhear gripped Jessie even tighter as he swallowed. She moaned above him, her hand going faster and faster with each draw he took from her. The prince began to move his hips to her movement, his body no longer in his control.

Fhear snarled when Jessie placed her hand around his throat and jerked back. Fangs out and blood in his mouth, the prince fought against the human's grip. He automatically stopped when she took her finger and dragged it through the stream of blood, bringing the bloody finger to her lips and sucking. Using two fingers to collect her blood, she pressed it against her lips and came back down on him, her crimson lips biting his before kissing him.

Jessie squeezed his cock.

Fhear bit down on her lip, more blood dancing over his tongue as he orgasmed in her hand. Mind blurred at the moment, the prince laid under the human as she slowly eased up, pausing in front of his gaze to lick her now bleeding lip. Watching a drop from the wound of her neck slide down her skin and fall on him, Fhear felt his body hum with nothing but life. Not once in his entire life had he felt this charged after taking blood from a Chosen. It was so powerful that he wanted another taste. He wanted more of something he knew he couldn't get anywhere else.

Thoughts still clouded with hunger for both blood and body, the prince began to sit up and reach out to Jessie for him to follow his instincts. She allowed him to sit straight and lick her neck, a dark purr coming from her body. Lapping at the wound, Fhear wanted to take another bite and surrender to the bliss of the human's blood. He grumbled when the human placed her hands on his shoulders and pinned him back down. She said something to him but it was unclear. All Fhear wanted was her to be under him and enjoy the pleasure her blood offer.

The prince's growl echoed across the locker room when Jessie stood on her knees and held his cock with both of her hands. Feeling her touch his tip sent Fhear wild, his hands itching to take her waist and pull her down. It was beyond torture as she took her time lowering herself, each feel of her tightening around him. When she paused with him halfway inside her, Fhear locked eyes with her with a strong demand.

Giving him what he wanted, Jessie dropped down on him, taking him in her with one go.

Both of them moaned at the sudden fill. It was Fhear grew louder as Jessie began to move her hips slowly and erotically. Soon not even a growl could make it past Fhear's throat as the human reached back and gripped both of his balls. Her waist and fingers moving in sync, she watched as the prince under her seethed with need.

His need to feed.

His need to be the one in control.

His need to suddenly mark this human over and over again.

All of his needs burned in his chest, fueling the male inside him with every movement. The prince ached to reach for something, anything, every time Jessie's fingers coiled around his balls and squeezed the same time she did around his cock. And when he felt like coming, she would slow down, taunting his need to orgasm.

Then she stopped.

Fhear was about to take this opportunity to gain control when she licked his ear.

"I've played this game before. And I always win."

The same words she said when they first met.

As if those words were a key, Jessie squeezed so hard Fhear thought she would rip his balls off. He roared at the top of his lungs as Jessie began to move her waist faster and faster. Her hand twisted and her womb tightened, the two demanding for the release she had manipulated out of him.

Fhear gave in to what he wanted, sinking his fingers into her flesh and drawing her down as far as she could go as he finally came inside her.

Jessie threw back her head and gasped, releasing her hold over him.

With each kick his cock threw in her, Fhear felt his mind sluggishly return to him. It was when his climax ended did his sense come back. Jessie propped herself on his chest and panted in delight. She lifted her head, looking past the strands of hair and straight at his eyes. His head now clear and realizing what he had done, half of Fhear's mind told him to push her off while the other ordered him to flip her over on her stomach and take his turn.

He hissed when he felt the familiar tightness around his cock.

"Who said I was ever done?" she teased.

The primal part of Fhear returned and he surrendered to it when Jessie brought her neck back to his lips, drops of blood dripping into his mouth.

They began their game all over again.


	31. Chapter 31

_Hi :D As you read on, you'll notice how there's two different formatting in this chapter. I tried to get the second one just like the previous few but couldn't no matter what I did...and believe me, I tried. Hope you don't mind._

* * *

Chapter Thirty One

Pushing against on Fhear's chest and removing herself from the prince's fangs, Jessie continued moving her hip in a slow rhythm. Straddling his lap with him trapped between her and the chair, she grinned as she watched his eyes turn wild with need. She already knew what he wanted from his feral gaze. After their first round of sex in the locker room, they discovered that her blood happened to be stronger than a normal vampire's and a whole lot more tantalizing. It had been difficult to keep Fhear's hands off of her during the entire night. The act was nearly futile when they resumed their training with Ahgony.

During the training, the three of them fought like their lives depended on it. Only this time training was slightly different. Taking into account that this Bhrutal didn't mention any rules, Jessie and Ahgony agreed to help Fhear sharpen his special skill for tonight. When the gym proved too small for them to continue, Ahgony left his friend to the human as they ventured outside during the afternoon. Fhear was momentarily relieved that he could walk outside, taking in the bright world. Jessie ended his enjoyment when she began attacking him once again.

Now with midnight not even ten minutes away, Jessie dug her nails into the prince's shirt the same time he curled his fingers around her waist. Again, he leaned forward to take another sip from her throat. Jessie discovered the power she held over him and easily kept him at bay with each move she made. The prince nuzzled against her hair and inhaled, distracting his desire to drink by the scent of her body.

"Move," he growled when she stopped.

Jessie coiled her fingers through his hair and snapped his head back, the human baring his own throat to her. She gently kissed and licked his skin. "I make the demands," she reminded in a low voice. Her eyes drifted over to the clock. "And I think we need to stop. It's almost time. Now, now." Her hand slithered into his pants and gripped his balls when he began moving on his own.

"Move," Fhear demanded.

And Jessie repeated, "No."

To strengthen her word, the human eased herself off of the prince's lap, taking her precious time with her hand still in place. Fhear hissed, his grip crushing the chair's arm. A faint creak sounded when Jessie jerked her hand, nearly crushing his balls in her grasp.

She left Fhear in the chair as she collected her pants and headed to the bathroom. Finding a discarded towel and cleaning herself, she slipped into the pants and freshened herself up. In the bedroom, Fhear was complaining in a low voice, perhaps in hopes of avoiding the human's ears. A dark smile jumped to her lips with each flick of the hair.

With five minutes remaining, Jessie emerged from the bathroom with the devious smile on for the world to see. In only a few minutes, her smile would grow ear to ear. Her job tonight would be to distract everyone while Fhear and Hhavoc left to deal with Bhrutal. Having an unknowing target in mind, she couldn't wait to pick a bone with them. The confrontation would undoubtedly gain all attention.

Her eyes snapped to the tarot cards resting under Fhear's fingers.

After the event with Cohnrad, Jessie had left Gram's cards on the table and forgot to hide them. More important things had occupied her mind, one being to apologize to the male after telling him what the cards meant. The male had left so she borrowed Claudya's phone to call him up. He accepted her apology and told her not to worry, thanking her for entertaining him and leaving it to that.

Now Jessie stood in her spot as Fhear blindly pulled the third card from his arc. Tilting his head to the side, the prince most likely didn't understand what the cards meant, indicating his curiosity got the better of him when he saw the cards. Picking up the third card with care as if afraid it would hurt him, he gathered the first two cards and placed them back in the stack.

"Let's get this started," Fhear said to her, adjusting his pants.

Jessie silently agreed and watched the prince leave her room. She then marched up to the desk and slipped the cards in a drawer, locking it and hiding the key in a vase. Brushing her fingers against the vase's edge, she flinched back when the delicate glass cracked under her touch.

Exactly like the beer bottle that night at the cemetery.

The cards Fhear picked disturbed her.

The Fool. The Lovers. Death.

Her cards.

Her future.

* * *

"You no good prick of an angel!"

"I think she picked Lassiter to be her target," whispered Hhavoc when they heard Jessie storm in.

"I don't know if I should be glad or afraid," Dhusk chuckled to the group.

Ahgony edged close to the prince. "Did she tell you she'd pick Lassiter?"

"Nope." Fhear reached for the belt pulled tight against his skin. "All she said was that she had her part of the plan."

The males jumped when they heard glass break.

Slipping from the room and casually walking up to the four, Claudya smiled as she pointed to the growing commotion. "I don't know what she has up her sleeve but it's working. Everyone is focused on her trying to take the angel's head."

"Alright then." Dhusk circled around to look at his friend. "Better handle this thing with Bhrutal fast or you might come back to a pile of ashes."

Hoping his friend was joking about the ashes part, Fhear nodded to Hhavoc and the two dematerialized from the mansion. Right when the minute turned to midnight, the two males stood at the entrance in Nightfall. No one was around except for Bhrutal who stood in the center of his club.

The male twisted around and stared at the males, noting how there were only two of them. When he didn't demand where the others were, Fhear told Hhavoc to stay put as he approached Bhrutal. Standing across from him, the prince took in Bhrutal's black clothing. Dressed similar to one another, the two could've been Brothers if it weren't for the fact that one was a prince and the other was clearly up to something.

"The others?" Bhrutal asked in an annoyed voice.

"Busy," replied Fhear.

Bhrutal glanced back over at Hhavoc. "Fine." He turned his attention back to his prince. "Take your spot."

One command and Fhear felt his entire body ready to fight to the death. It was the mystery about Bhrutal that brought his senses to full attention.

The two taking their spots on the floor, Fhear chucked his jacket as did Bhrutal. They both paused when each noticed the leather belts on one waist and the other gripping shoulders. It was Bhrutal who grinned like a feral cat at the sight of Fhear's hira shurikens.

Fhear removed one and threw it the same time Bhrutal swiftly reached for his back and sent a chakram soaring. Both weapons clashed in the center, falling to the ground with a sharp sound. Fhear gathered two more shurikens and launched them to counter the extra chakrams flying at his body. Watching his weapons cancel out his opponent's, Fhear charged straight at the male with a shuriken in both hands.

He gulped when Bhrutal blocked his first attack with his chakrams and rotated his hands, trapping the shurikens with his own weapons. Fhear swallowed the gag as Bhrutal kneed him in the stomach and elbowed him in the back of his skull. Releasing the prince from his hold, the male flicked his chakrams around his fingers and sliced Fhear with their sharp edges.

Jumping back and circling around, Fhear went for the male's back and threw a shuriken. Not surprised it was deflected, the prince kept the other shuriken in hand as he swung around to throw a wide spinning-hill kick. Bhrutal rotated on his feet as if he were dancing and blocked both the kick and the hand with the weapon in one swoop.

The prince twisted the arm Bhrutal caught, bringing him closer to the male and bit him on the shoulder. Snarling in surprise, Bhrutal released the prince and back up a foot, giving Fhear more than enough room to bring his shuriken up against the male's chest and throwing a punch to the groin.

Bhrutal managed to block the low blow but suffered a cut to the shoulder from the prince's weapon. Before he could recover, Fhear imitated Bhrutal's footwork by rotating in the same rotation and brought the shuriken down in an angle. To follow up with the attack, he lifted his knees to catch the male's arm when he reached out to block. With Bhrutal locked in his grasp, Fhear wrapped his leg around the male's arm and jerked down, bringing the male with him. Bhrutal jerked back and danced low in circles to avoid two shurikens to the head.

At a safe distance with a chakram in both hands, Bhrutal looked at his bleeding shoulder. "You bit me," he said to no one in particular.

Fhear felt it would be polite to answer back. "I have an unusual mentor. Believes there are no rules when fighting."

"No rules, huh?" The male looked back at the prince.

Fhear's entire body turned to ice.

A predator mocked its prey.

"I would love to meet this mentor of yours."

Chakrams held low and hunched down, Bhrutal came at Fhear with sudden speed that the prince had little time to prepare when the male was in front of him. Crossing his arms with the shurikens raised, they clashed with the chakrams for only a second before Bhrutal jumped back and returned in a series of wild spins.

The speed Bhrutal came at Fhear was eerily similar that the prince was slightly able to keep up with the male. Reminding him of the way how Ahnger and Victoria fought, the prince brought his arms up in the right positions to deflect Bhrutal's attacks. However, with each spin and slice, the male grew faster and faster that Fhear began to trip up. Feeling cold steel sting across cut flesh, the prince bit down on his lip as he did his best to defend.

Both males forcing the other back, Fhear came in high as Bhrutal attacked low. With the two up against the other, the prince looped his arms with the male's and head-butted him. The male snarled and licked the fresh blood rolling down from his wound, his eyes heating with excitement. Fhear finally landed a low blow with his knee and held tight as Bhrutal bent down from the attack, lodging one sharp tip of his shuriken into the male's chest and the other to his stomach.

Fhear vaguely heard Hhavoc shout his friend's name when the world flipped upside-down. Landing hard on his back, the prince gasped for air before rolling over when two chakrams almost inserted themselves in his head. Kicking Bhrutal back, Fhear jumped back to his feet and flicked his weapon at the male, watching it sail at the male who threw his own weapon to send it flying in the opposite direction.

Reaching for his belt, Fhear counted five remaining shurikens. Given that he didn't know how many chakrams Bhrutal possessed, he would have to make the last five count. But as he watched the male pace around like a wild animal taunting its prey before pouncing, the thought of Jessie popped up.

The prince chuckled to himself as he took his weapons in each finger. Knowing she would use the shurikens in one swoop, Fhear brought his arms around his chest and launched the flying stars straight at Bhrutal. Darting back and forth as if sensing where the shurikens would fly, the male ducked so low he placed one hand to the floor to balance himself. It was that moment where Fhear found his spot right in front of the male.

Throwing an uppercut, Fhear clenched his jaw when he felt Bhrutal's chin take the attack and his knuckles crack from contact. The male thrown up to his feet, the prince followed with a back fist which landed against the side of Bhrutal's skull and spun around to throw two roundhouse kicks simultaneously. Feeling each kick crush into Bhrutal's chest, Fhear refused to let up on his attack now that he had the upper hand. Placing his foot down, he quickly threw it back up for a snap kick which knocked into the male's chin a second time. Stepping in wide and locking fists together, the prince took another step to add more power to the elbow strike to the chest. Bhrutal had yet to regain his footing, giving Fhear more time to spin and do a hook kick to the neck since he missed the head from the rotation.

Watching the male stumble to the ground, Jessie's harsh commands to not let his enemy a chance to regroup roared in the prince's head. With another sharp rotation, Fhear raised his leg and prepared to come down with an ax kick when Bhrutal caught his lifted leg with both hands. At this angle, the prince could see the holster strapped to the male's back contained at least ten more chakram. Nervous that the male would reach for his weapons, Fhear tried to free his leg when something strong tightened around his flesh.

Jerking back and nearly tripping over, the prince did all he could to break free only to hop on place. Still on his knee and the prince trapped in his grasp, Bhrutal kept his pose even when Fhear gained the courage to remove a chakram from the male's back and slash it against Bhrutal's hand.

"I will admit," the male said with his head bowed, "you came prepared for tonight."

Fhear refused to shout in pain when the hold on his leg became unbearable.

"But I think your time is up."

Bhrutal sunk his teeth into Fhear's leg.

Unable to keep it inside, the prince screamed as the male's teeth dug further into him. Shocked to feel the teeth reach closer to his bone, Fhear brought down the chakram in his hand but froze when the hands trapping his leg shot up and caught his arm.

Standing on his feet with Fhear still in his teeth, Bhrutal charged forward, practically dragging the prince with him. Leg in jaw and arm in strong hands, the male threw Fhear across the floor as if he were a rag and released. Blood smeared over the pale floor, creating red waves in the prince's path. Dragging his head up and spotting Bhrutal, the prince watched as he drew two more chakrams and stalked towards Fhear. Balancing on his elbows and bringing his good leg to his chest, Fhear wobbled now that one of his legs was less than reliable.

He was back on the ground with one chakram in his last good leg and the other one in his left shoulder. This time the prince couldn't cry out when a heavy force crashed down right on his chest, every bone in his rib cage creaking from the pressure, threatening to crack any given second.

Fhear's body reacted before his mind, his slippery hands catching Bhrutal's weapon before it made its home between his eyes.

Feeling a much powerful force pressing down on the steady hand, Fhear's body continued to move on its own without the orders of the mind. With the circular edge only a breadth away from his nose, the prince brought both wounded legs, biting the inside of his check from the chakram in his leg as it rubbed against his stomach, and threw all of his strength into the kick aimed between Bhrutal's legs.

A sound like nothing Fhear had ever heard before ripped out of Bhrutal.

Chakram replaced with a punch to the forehead, Fhear's head snapped against the hard floor, sending whatever vision he contained spinning. The second punch was all it took for the world to flash in and out, rendering him defenseless.

When the world regained a sense of order, Fhear found himself leaning against Hhavoc's body. The male stared down at his friend with worried eyes, something no one outside their group rarely saw. Breaking his gaze from his friend, the prince's vision swirled as he searched for Bhrutal. It took him a while, but he finally found the male collecting his weapons.

Taking each chakram and sliding them into place along his back, the feral look his possessed a second ago vanished as if never existing. All that stood before Fhear and Hhavoc was the calm and calculating male who had challenged him in the first place.

"Now I really want to meet your mentor," the male said to himself.

Fhear tried to stand on his own and would've fallen on his ass if it hadn't been for Hhavoc helping him up. The head injuries he suffered apparently more severe by the way how his balance was all over the place.

His senses sharped when a chakram nicked his throat.

Hhavoc growled at Bhrutal who appeared in front of the two, weapon drawn against the prince.

"You are full of things, my prince," spoke the male through his bloody teeth. "I honestly did not expect to enjoy myself tonight. I thank you for the surprise, my prince."

Fhear swallowed against the weapon's edge, feeling a drop of blood slip down his skin.

Bhrutal lowered his chakram with a deadly smirk. Placing his weapon with the rest of his collection, the male nodded upstairs. "I have some medical equipment we can use for your wounds. And I think we can now have a conversation as equals."

Fhear glanced at his friend.

"Jessie's being very entertaining."

Well, guess that answered that.

The prince looked back at Bhrutal.

"Lead the way."

* * *

Apparently Jessie was, indeed, very entertaining considering Fhear was able to hold a conversation with Bhrutal for nearly an hour. The male told his prince of those part of the _princep_ council and secrets he managed to gather over the years. Some sounded like gossip while other whispers sounded like reliable information. Nothing dirty came up from Cohnrad's end, slicing whatever doubt the prince held further in half. Bhrutal spoke a bit of his foreign and hidden business, ending any shady thoughts the prince had of the male.

Everything the male told Fhear indicated on how well connected the male was and how he gained his reputation. The male was no doubt a predator who surveyed a heard of prey and waited until he deemed worthy to shorten the numbers. With every minute Fhear spent with him, the more he felt grateful he had gained the male's respect. And if things remained well between the two, having Bhrutal as an alley would be more than useful.

With the hour ticking away, it was best for the two to return to the mansion before the Brothers started looking. Having done his best to cover his injuries, Fhear thanked Bhrutal for the chance to prove himself and left with Hhavoc by his side. When the males appeared in the mansion, the first thing they heard was cheering coming from the billiard room. They glanced at one another when a loud female voice filled the halls with a powerful curse.

Following the voices, Fhear and Hhavoc leaned inside and found Jessie and Lassiter standing in front of a crowd. The angel bowed to the crowd with a seething human crushing a rolled up magazine in her hands. Resting on a table was a laptop hooked up to a pair of speakers, a song on the screen just ending.

All eyes were definitely on the two, especially when Jessie jerked Lassiter by the collar of his shirt back to his spot. Picking up a magazine, the angel snickered at Jessie as he rolled the magazine into what was now a fake microphone. Once the room quieted, it was Yuri who held up a phone. Pressing his finger on the screen, two rolls flipped around like something from a game show. The first roll ended on the world alternative and the second continued to flip on until landing on the name Fall Out Boy.

"You have got to be kidding me," mumbled Hhavoc.

Leaning over from a sofa, Dhusk waved over at the males to join him. In his hand was his phone recording the scene. Sitting next to the male was Paige, Ahgony, and Claudya. The two joined the others when Jessie and Lassiter took their spots next to each other.

"What the hell is going on?" Fhear asked.

"Well," started Dhusk, "when Jessie came at Lassiter after accusing him of going through her underwear, there was this huge fight with a bunch of shit flying around."

Paige raised her hand. "I didn't do it."

"Anyways, when your father called for them to stop breaking things, Jessie went at the angel. More things met an untimely end when Lassiter met the challenge. It took half the Brotherhood to keep the two from burning the place down."

"He's not kidding," added Ahgony. "I don't know how, but fire actually made it in there and we had to put it out."

Fhear and Hhavoc waved at the two warming up.

"Yeah, we had to think of something to keep them from reenacting Battle Royale."

"And you came up with this?"

Ahgony shrugged his shoulders. "Hey, it was this or some deadly version of hide-and-seek. And trust me, V's just about had it with damages created by Jessie. He even mentioned about how no one would find her if the two did play their game."

Fhear rolled his eyes, knowing how true V would make that threat. "Fine." He walked over and took a seat on the edge. "So what gives with the curse we heard."

"Oh, that." Claudya pointed to the two. "We were given the right to vote on who did best. You know, something like the Voice. Anyway, Jessie did Castle by Halsey and Lassiter actually did Run the World by Beyoncé. Do you really need to know who won that one?"

"Now I'm glad we missed that one," Hhavoc said as he sat next to his cousin.

"Shh! They're about to start."

Song typed into the laptop and music flowing out of the speakers, Jessie started them off with Lassiter a few notes behind.

 _"_ _Be careful making wishes in the dark dark  
Can't be sure when they've hit their mark, mark  
And besides in the mean, mean time  
I'm just dreaming of tearing you apart"_

The angel jumped in her face with the magazine mic to his lips.

" _I'm in the de-details with the devil  
So now the world can never get me on my level  
I just got to get you out of the cage  
I'm a young lover's rage  
Gonna need a spark to ignite"_

They turned to face the Brothers and their family to give continue their performance.

" _My songs know what you did in the dark"_

Jumping from their positions, they danced to the music as they continued their competitive duet.

 _"So light 'em up up up_  
 _Light 'em up up up_  
 _Light 'em up up up_  
 _I'm on fire"_

 _"So light 'em up up up_  
 _Light 'em up up up_  
 _Light 'em up up up_  
 _I'm on fire"_

 _"In the dark dark_  
 _In the dark dark"_

Keeping in sync with the rhythm, Jessie hopped in front of Lassiter and pushed against the angel with a confident smile on her face. Walking backwards with her middle finger raced in the angel's face, she spun around and moved her hips erotically.

 _"All the writers keep writing what they write, write_  
 _Somewhere another pretty vein just died_  
 _I've got the scars from tomorrow and_  
 _I wish you could see, see_  
 _That you're the antidote to everything except for me, me"_

The angel pushed past the human to gain the limelight of the audience.

 _"A constellation of tears on your lashes_  
 _Burn everything you love, then burn the ashes_  
 _In the end everything collides_  
 _My childhood spat back out the monster that you see"_

They momentarily resumed their pose to face the crowd.

 _"My songs know what you did in the dark"_

And just like before, they sang in unison and mimicked each other's moves as if they choreographed the performance together. Face the other while keeping the distance, their voices merged with each step they took before breaking off and continuing the dance in their own space.

Coming close to the end of the song, they once against faced off and held the long pitch until they jumped back and waved at the crowd to end the duet.

Taking a bow to the applause, the two waited as whispers traveled amongst the giant group. Given how they were at the back, Fhear looked over at Hhavoc who held up his hands, acting as if he wasn't impressed. As for Fhear, he had only heard Jessie sing on the internet. Hearing her live for the first time was more than impressive. He was more than happy to say her name when Paige leaned over to collect his vote.

"And the winner is…" The triplets drummed their fingers over the table, "Jessie!"

It was Lassiter's turn to curse.

As the human mocked the angel who looked like he wanted to smite her, Fhear jumped when a gentle hand was placed on his shoulder. Leaning down so he was close, Rehvenge grinned at the prince and turned that grin of his over to Hhavoc.

"Your father would like to have a conversation when this is over," reported the male before leaving and taking his place next to his _shellan_."

"So much for our distraction," Dhusk muttered.

Zamir touched the app and everyone waited for the song Lassiter would have to select. The first row landed on funk and the name of the artist end up being James Brown. This time it was Lassiter's who mocked Jessie after seeing his choice. A menacing hiss came from the human as the angel shoved her to the side and took center stage. Bending down to type in his song, the angel dramatically tossed his hair and raised the magazine mick.

 _"This is a man's world_  
 _This is a man's world_  
 _But it would be nothing, nothing_  
 _Without a women or a girl"_

 _"You see, man made the car_  
 _To take us over the road_  
 _Man made the train_  
 _To carry the heavy load_  
 _Man made the electrolight_  
 _To take us out of the dark_  
 _Man made the boat full of water_  
 _Like Noah made the arc"_

 _"This is a man's, man's, man's world_  
 _But it would be nothing, nothing_  
 _Without a women or a girl"_

Jessie bit down on her magazine when Lassiter went so far as to sing Pavarotti's piece. Low whistles from peanut gallery indicated that the vote for the final round might end up in the angel's favor. The more Jessie tore her teeth into the cover, the more Fhear wondered how much she would be spitting up.

 _"Man thinks about little bit of baby girls and a baby boys_  
 _Man make them happy_  
 _Cos man make them toys_  
 _And after man make everything_  
 _Everything he can_  
 _You know that man makes money_  
 _To buy from other man"_

With each opera performance by the angel, the more it seemed to put Jessie at a disadvantage. Fhear kept his excitement down to a minimum when Lassiter finished the last verse of the song. By the time Lassiter did his bow, the magazine in Jessie's grasp sported bite marks it would never recover from.

Snapping at one of the triplets to start her turn, Håkon did the honors of activating the app. Eyes focused on the screen, many inhaled at once when the genre listed rock. Soon those inhales turned to gasps when the artist selection read original. Those eyes zoomed over at Jessie, who blankly stared at the screen.

Her empty gaze flicked stiff when Lassiter threw his arm over her shoulder. "Aw," he drawled next to her. "This seems like a problem. Need a few minutes or do you want to throw in the towel?"

"Fuck off, angel," barked Jessie.

Gripping a finger and twisting, Lassiter yelped as he jumped away. Marching up to the laptop and swinging it around, Jessie bent low and started typing away on the device. She bared her teeth at the angel when he tried peeking over her shoulder, sending him scurrying away with his hand tucked close to his chest.

"You have something up your sleeve?" asked the king.

"Patient," the human snapped. Her eyes darted up at V and narrowed. "Ever discover my password and I'll neuter you."

Nearly all the males laughed. Vishous growled at the human and would've slaughtered in front of everyone to witness if it wasn't for his female keeping him in place. Oblivious of her threat, Jessie took in a shaky breath and turned the laptop back around.

At the top of the screen was Loyola University New Orleans. Under the university's name was Jessie's along with folders dated barely a month ago. Former classes were listed with expiration dates tagged next to them. One folder was open along, revealing a list of untitled subjects. One subject had been selected, revealing a flat music bars display. Breathing in through her nose and exhaling, Jessie tabbed the space bar and stood, shooing the angel away as a ticking sound jumped on the bar.

A sad piano began the song, it's gentle music luring in its audience. One note repeated itself before it was silence by an electric guitar. One by one, more instruments joined in to give the song life. Jessie swayed in her spot, eyes closed and palms pressed to her head. As the music quieted for the piano to take over its symphony, Jessie opened her dark eyes and brought the magazine to her lips.

 _"We stand in the middle_

 _Watch as the sun sets and the moon rise_

 _We watch you in the shadows_

 _Can't you see her right now"_

 _"She brings her arms out_

 _Reaching and calling for you_

 _Calling you by name_

 _Calling to you_

 _And you still don't see her"_

The guitar and drums picked up the pace.

 _"Hear her scream, hear her scream_

 _Hear her scream out your name"_

 _"Hear her scream, hear her scream_

 _Hear her scream out your name"_

Each instrument played its own tune, weaving in and out as the tune depicted each part to make the performance spectacular.

 _"She starts the battle, the war, the end_

 _In your name"_

 _"Red to the skies and earth_

 _Floods drip from her fingers, the candles die_

 _So you can hear her call out"_

 _"She wields the sword and leads the way_

 _She does this all for you by name_

 _And still you can't see_

 _You can't see what she does in your name_

 _And you still can't see her"_

 _"Hear her scream, hear her scream_

 _Hear her scream your name"_

 _"Hear her scream, hear her scream_

 _Hear her scream your name"_

The same lyrics repeat over to create a haunting sound as Jessie takes a pause. A voice clearly hers plays over again and again before shrinking when she sings a high pitch and keeps it as the music dances around her voice. Breaking the pitch and raising it up note by note, it sounded like Jessie could continue until she slowly brought it down to match the piano breaking through the instruments.

 _"The shadows pull her_

 _Pull her to the ground_

 _The moon sets and the sun rise_

 _And still you don't see her"_

 _"Don't see her calling your name_

 _Screaming out your name"_

 _"Can't you see, can't you see_

 _Hear her screaming your name"_

Piano keys going high and low, the soft notes concluded the song.

Ignoring the silence, Jessie tapped the space bar to pause the song on its last second and twisted over to face Lassiter. Giving him a playful smile, the human turned away like the angel was beneath her and waited for the crowd to judge.

Fhear wasn't surprised in the slightest when Jessie was named victor.

As the applause followed seconds after the winner was declared, Fhear spotted his father already making his way to the study. Noting how Rehv followed the king, the prince waited to see if any of the Brothers would join in on another family argument. He stood up and exited the room when no one seemed to tale Wrath and Rehv. Those who shared the seat all watched as Fhear left, the males unsure whether or not to follow. Fhear held his hand down, signaling he would be fine for this one.

Leaving the party room and heading down the empty hall to the study, Fhear closed the door behind him and aimed towards the liquor table. Rehvenge handed the prince an already filled cup, the two tapping the edges together and tossing the drink back. As the _sympath_ refilled the cup, Wrath took a seat on his throne and removed his shades. Conner padded around his master's feet before laying down and resting his boxy head on his paws.

"Now that's one damn distraction," Wrath said to start the conversation.

Fhear drained his drink. "I heard something about a fire," the prince announced, holding out his cup. Rehv happily filled it. "Kind of interested how that one happened."

"Jessie's not allowed near the kitchen," Rehvenge laughed. "Or anything that leaks gas. I would suggest banning her from any liquor, but I like keeping my head."

"She hid a stash somewhere," noted Wrath. "V told me. He and Butch are still searching for her nest. Try banning her because she can start a fire with it and I think we'll suffer another Prohibition."

Fhear couldn't help but laugh.

"So what was the reason for this extreme distraction?" the king asked his son.

Finding no point in hiding it, Fhear finished off his third drink and placed the cup upside down to prevent a fourth. The prince hid his surprise when a spider web crack formed at the base of the cup. So Rehvenge wouldn't notice it, Fhear nudged it out of view as the crack trickled down the side.

"I was taking care of some unfinished business.

"And does this 'unfinished business' have to do with that on your head?" Rehv pointed to his forehead, signaling where the bruise Fhear inflicted when he head-butted Bhrutal. "And while I'm pointing it out, you might want to change clothes the next time you suffer cuts."

Fhear glanced down. Sure enough, chilly gaps from where the chakrams once resided showed for all to see. It was a miracle no one pointed this out earlier. Maybe Bhrutal wanted the Brothers to know their prince got in a fight that more than just fists.

"Yes. Now it's taken care of."

Wrath rubbed his eyes and sighed. "Your conspirators and tonight's events. Even I can't handle all of it." The king opened his eyes, tilting his head in the direction of his son and Rehvenge. "Must I go and visit this Jaga? Try to see if these unnecessary events end once and for all?"

The crack rendering the cup useless was a nice obstacle to keep the prince from drinking.

"Father, I think you already know who Jaga really is."

Surely the king did because Wrath's blind eyes wandered around in their direction, most likely in search of the _sympath_. Some sixth sense came to play because the king's gaze found Rehvenge. The male shrugged his shoulders and exhaled out loud. Taking a newly filled cup, he found a seat and rotated the cup in his hand.

"I never trusted Bhrutal," announced Wrath. "The male's not like the other _princeps_ and I don't need eyes to know. Then I got wind about Rehvenge looking into the male's daily life and got curious. V did his own research and came up with the same results."

Fhear looked at Rehv.

"Your father confronted me before the fires started," chuckled the male.

"And can you imagine V's surprise when he realized that the male had previously been in our system?"

It was Fhear's turn to confess. "Dhusk and I hacked into his establishment a few months ago. It only had to do with Paige. I didn't know Bhrutal owned Nightfall until recently." There was no way he was about to admit the male's public threats to the Brotherhood. Being a _princep_ wouldn't save his ass.

"So what was tonight about?"

Tapping a finger on another glass cup, the prince swallowed when another web of cracks appeared. He would need to have a talk with Frédérique. Clearly the female knew more about this superstition business than he did

"Bhrutal didn't believe I had what it took to be a strong leader. His doubt led him to challenge me in a fight to prove my strength."

Wrath placed his hand flat on his desk and tapped a finger. "And this fight?"

"I attacked him as if he were a _lesser_."

"So why does it look like you lost?" Rehv asked as he took a sip from his glass.

"Because I did."

Another tap from his father. "Bhrutal really defeated you?"

"Yes, father. He may even be more skilled than any Brother."

With a steady tap coming from the desk, Wrath sat in his throne as if deciding what to say next. Rehvenge took this opportunity to lean over and top off his drink. Fhear decided to keep his hands to his side, not willing to risk another glass breaking incident.

"I still don't trust him," Wrath admitted.

"Neither do I," agreed Rehv.

"What of you, son? Do you trust Bhrutal?"

Given how father and son had yet to yell at the other, Fhear kept speaking the truth in hopes of keeping the peace. "He has a mind of his own, making him unpredictable. I have witnessed the predator behind the eyes, the reason why the other males cower before him. Trust is something tricky to earn from him. However, I have earned his respect and peeked his interest. If I continue to keep his interest, I'm sure I can earn his trust."

The tapping ceased.

"No more fights with Bhrutal," the king declared. "I don't need to give the male a reason to oppose us in future meetings."

"I highly doubt another fight would result in that."

"Anyway, no more fights. That's all I'm asking for."

Fhear waited for the sucker punch to come around. When Wrath didn't continue, the prince grew uneasy from the silence. Even Rehvenge was on the edge of his seat, practically waiting for some kingly demand to be announced.

Unable to keep it to himself, Fhear asked his father, "And?"

"What do you mean 'and'?"

"Do you have anything else to say?"

Wrath leaned over and scratched Conner on the head. "I think we can end this senseless bickering. And given how your team of collaborators has grown, another diversion will only lead to a much unneeded death."

"Now that I can agree on," chimed in Rehv.

Still unsure what to do, Fhear continued to wait for the other shoe to fall.

"You can stop worrying," Wrath said to his son. "I said to no longer fight Bhrutal. I trust you in handling the male in other ways."

After Wrath fell quiet without saying anything, Fhear asked if the conversation was over. He gave a slight bow when his father said he could leave, hinting that he should go to Jane so she could check his wounds. Leaving the two males behind, the prince contemplated his father's words before deciding to go upstairs instead of the tunnels.

Everyone had already left the billiards room, earlier entertainment long passed. No doubt Lassiter was somewhere, sulking in his ultimate defeat. The last song Jessie performed had been something, ending with victory in the bag. Maybe the next time Lassiter agrees to any challenge from the human, he might want to look up her listed occupation.

Fhear knew where his feet were leading him. Even though he fed early last night and only an hour ago, a need to taste something sweet rode over his tongue. The prince resisted the urge as much as possible and felt no shame as to how powerless he was to his desire. Standing in front of the door, Fhear took in a deep breath and shuddered from the scent on the other side.

Jessie opened the door.

Taking her by the waist and pushing her inside, Fhear kicked the door shut and buried his nose against her throat.

"Why do you do that?" Jessie asked.

With her scent filling his nose, the prince sighed in relief that he didn't catch what he feared. "When a male takes a female to be his mate, the male releases a scent of dark spices. Once that happens, everyone can smell their scent on his female."

Two strong hands gripped him by the shoulders and spun him around, landing the prince on the bed. With her hold still on him, Jessie placed her weight down on Fhear, pinning him under her body.

"How noble," she said in her low voice. "Worried we might get too carried away and everyone will find out. Guess we'll have to play our game a bit more carefully."

Fhear didn't know how long he could play this game of theirs. As Jessie took his lips with hers, he fought against the male who wanted to claim her as his. With the sharp pull of her teeth as she tugged his bottom lip, the primal part of him yielded to his demand only because he wanted to be inside her right now. Both halves of Fhear came together when Jessie began to undo his pants, her hands finding what she wanted.

The prince was to mate someone else in two months and he wanted Jessie like his lungs needed air. It was only a matter of time before he lost control and gave in to mark her as his female. Until that day came, Fhear was more than happy to play their dangerous game.


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter Thirty Two

An exploding pain jolted Jessie from her sleep. Tossing the covers and patting her body, she tried to locate the source of discomfort when it hit a second time. The second round was so strong that she sucked in a gulp of air to keep from crying out. Reaching for her back where the pain was radiating from, she hopped out of bed and stumbled to the bathroom. She blindly reached for the lights and flinched when the room turned bright.

Flipping her hair over her shoulder and turning around, she craned her neck so she could see her reflection. Jessie whimpered when a nasty bruise bloomed at the base of her spine. Touching the center of the bruise, it stung like hell and grew when a third attack happened. This time it felt like a batt struck her, sending Jessie falling to the ground and nearly hitting her head against the tub. Gripping its edge, her hands spun the faucets so the water could rush down. The loud sound of heavy water beating against marble was enough to mute her sobs.

The _lessers_ were beating her brother.

* * *

"You want to do what?"

Jessie stuck her head out from the bathroom, her still drying from the indigo dye. The human pointed with the dye brush to the laptop resting on the table Fhear was standing in front of. On the screen was some website which she found by going through a bunch of links. Even the prince had to admit he wouldn't have been able to find it.

Then again, he never thought of visiting a rave.

"Will it be difficult to smuggle me out?" she called out.

"Uh," Fhear held his tongue as he surveyed the home page. "I think I can work something out. But can you tell me why you want to go? I mean, I managed to talk my dad into letting you tag along with Butch to a night mass."

The human popped out again, brown and blue clumps of hair dangled around her face. "You did what now?"

Fhear took a seat and clicked around, growing irritated when he couldn't find a single address. "Yeah, just now. With your constant complaining about going to church and all, Butch agreed for you to come as long as you didn't cause any trouble." The prince brought up another screen and started typing a series of numbers, hoping to find more information now that he was hacking. "You guys go tomorrow night. Why a rave?"

Jessie moaned as she trudged over to Fhear. "One, I need to party." She folded her arms on top of his head, resting her chin on the double stack. "Two, you and Claudya get hitched when again? No one's thrown a bachelor or bachelorette party. Consider this taking two birds out with one stone."

Taking the time to see this through Jessie's point of view, Fhear couldn't help but agree with her. A few days had passed after his fight with Bhrutal and the human had become more docile with her escape attempts. Most of her time was scamming whoever challenged her, adding more money to her growing stash of green. With it somewhere close to ten grand, no one wanted to compete against her.

The prince understood how his father wouldn't go for this idea. Too many things could go wrong, giving the human more than enough time to escape and return to causing problems for the Brotherhood on the streets. But as Fhear thought about it, no one had made any progress in finding Jessie's twin. Not even Hhavoc could locate Jamie when the nights were quiet in his head. With no news and friendly competition coming to a close, there was close to nothing in keeping Jessie from trouble.

After telling him about this silly idea, Fhear's mind was already creating a plan. True, he had never been to a rave nor thought of one. But with Jessie leaning further down on him and the screen coming up blank, the prince wasn't about to deny his interest was piqued.

"First of all," Fhear rotated the laptop around for Jessie to reach, "how about you show me how you found this. Then maybe I could work something out."

Jessie grinned as she reached forward and dragged the mouse to another tab. With one finger, she typed in some kind of restaurant and the first place listed was in New Orleans. Fhear watched as Jessie went to the contacts on the website and right clicked in a corner. Using her chin to balance herself on the prince's head, Jessie dragged the mouse over until it highlighted the copyright at the bottom. Right clicking again, she brought up the selection and chose to open another window.

A different website appeared. Acting as a lingerie webpage, nothing seemed important until Jessie tabbed on links and a page full of links leading to different websites popped up. Fhear was sure his head was spinning in circles with all the twists and turns. His mind finally came to a standstill when Jessie clicked with both her fingers.

The screen went black before flashes of light lit it up. On the page was an address and time.

"Guess someone finally grew a pair to host a party at the cottage," mused Jessie.

Fhear glanced up at the human. "What cottage?"

"Oh, there's this silly legend in New Awlins about the cottage out by the bayou. Something about a servant back in the days killed the family she worked for. Legend has it that whoever trespasses dies. Nice place for them to have the party."

"You and your supernatural city."

Jessie smiled with pride. "So?" she begged.

The prince sighed. "I think the others and I can pull something off."

* * *

Fhear was very skeptical when his father gave him the okay. When he lied and said that Ahgony and the cousins were going with him to Iron Mask, Wrath told him to have fun. The king didn't so much as bat an eyelash when his son told him they were taking Paige and Claudya. Everything still didn't feel real as they pulled out in the Charger and headed for the city.

Sharing the front with Dhusk and Ahgony crushed between them, Fhear waited until they had a few miles put between them and the mansion to look in the back seat. Hhavoc rested his head on the window and appeared to be taking a nap while Paige and Claudya picked at their clothes. Well, Jessie's clothes to be exact. The human lent them to the two since they didn't have anything to wear for the rave. And speaking of Jessie, she did another spectacular job in causing a commotion before storming off somewhere in the mansion.

It would be a while until someone worked the nerve to go look for her.

Knowing the prince was looked at him, Hhavoc peeled his eyes open looked out the window. "V and Butch left six minutes after us," the male said to the group. "They're overconfident about tonight. By the time we get to the Iron Mask, they'll most likely do a loop before parking."

"Plenty of time for us to bail," cheered Dhusk.

His female unbuckled her seatbelt and propped herself up against his chair. "Don't sound too excited," she scolded. Dhusk simply laughed and kissed her.

Claudya fidgeted with the top she wore. It was the same grey mesh crop top from Jessie's selection. With the human in charge of the females' appearances, she went full out on making them ready for the night. Along with the top and a pair of familiar short shorts, Claudya wore Jessie's lace up boots which fit her nicely. As for Paige, the human wore a black halter top and low waist pants with strapped heels to complete the look. Before Jessie had a chance to check the males, the plan to spring her was in action, preventing her from doing a thorough search on them.

"So, uh, where is Jessie?" Claudya asked.

Hhavoc jabbed a finger to the trunk.

Only Dhusk's laughter filled the car as they drove.

As they pulled up to the club, Fhear kept a sharp eye on the street as everyone stepped out. On the other side of the car was Hhavoc who's eyes were focused on the distance. The male held up his hand and the others waited. Sure enough, an Escalade came cruising down the street before driving off. There could be a million Escalades driving and Fhear would know which one belonged to V.

With the coast clear for the moment, Fhear popped the trunk and Ahgony helped Jessie out. The males quickly averted their eyes when the human adjusted the leather tube top to refit her breasts. Threat of her breasts popping out taken care of, Jessie patted her ass which had two dark blue fleur-de-lis stitched into the back pockets of her black skinny jeans. Completing the look with stiletto ankle boots, Jessie flipped her curly brown and blue hair out of her face and smirked at the crowd.

"Enjoy the view?" she teased.

Considering the actual couple in the group, Paige slapped Dhusk when the male blushed from the comment.

"Okay," said Fhear to break the awkwardness. "Let's hurry up before those two find a place to park."

The group made sure to leave their phones in case someone decided to track them. With Jessie the only one with money on her, the human led the vampires to the front of Iron Mask and waved down a cab. By the time they managed to get in, Fhear spotted V park his ride in the lot across the street. It would've been a miracle if the males saw them because Jessie told the driver to take them to the warehouse district and they were off.

The drive took them a good thirty minutes when they pulled up to the address. Paying the man and watching the tax leave them in an unfamiliar area, Fhear looked at his friends who all patted the hidden weapons on them. The prince hadn't intended to leave the mansion unharmed so he double checked the hira shurikens lined up along his waist. When the males gave the thumbs up on their weapon check, Fhear told Jessie to lead the way.

Entering in what appeared to be an abandoned warehouse, the group ventured further inside until two men blocked their path. Obviously human bodyguards for the event, suspicious eyes traveled over them before locking on Jessie who stood at the front.

"Seven," one man said.

"Of course." Jessie reached into her pocket and held out a crushed roll of hundred dollar bills. The same man counted seven hundred and nodded to his friend. Receiving his command, the human grabbed a steel handle and slid the door open.

A giant room filled the warehouse with strobe lights and lasers shooting in random directions. Fog shot up in the air from the DJ booth with women dancing on stage. At the bottom was a huge mash of people dancing, their clothes or accessories they wore glowing in strange colors. Someone standing by the door stepped in front of Jessie and shouted something in her ear. The human held up seven fingers, giving the person a moment to look at the others before handing Jessie some items.

"Take one," she shouted. In her hand were glowing sticks, rings, and a wig. Fhear took six rings and threw them over his head, neon colors bringing light to his body. Jessie decided to take the neon pink wig and fitted it over her head. Hhavoc collected the remaining rings and decided to leave them tangled in his white hair. Everyone laughed as the male shrugged. The other shared the glowing sticks, joining in on the light show.

"We'll stay for two hours before hitting it. Cool?"

"Yeah!"

With the time set, Dhusk was the first to lead Paige from the group and into the masses. Hhavoc circled around before joining a group of humans occupying a staircase, not hesitating when a human offered him a drink. Four remaining, Jessie grabbed Claudya's hand and waved at the males as the two of them disappeared in the sea of bodies.

Fhear wiped his moist face and looked up, watching the lasers strike all over with another wave of fog shooting from the machine. Brining his attention back to the front, the prince caught a glimpse of the girls having fun with a bunch of strangers dancing with them. Closer to the DJ was Dhusk who kept a protective stance around Paige as she danced against her male.

"What did Jessie call this again?" Ahgony asked his friend.

"A bachelor and bachelorette party," he answered.

"I like her idea. Wonder if she has one planned for those two when they get mated?"

"Didn't know she was permanently moving in."

Ahgony laughed to himself. "What if she were to visit? That would give V something to look forward to."

Since it sounded like they were making up the future, Fhear happily went along with the idea. "Now why do you say that? Those two are already on bad terms. Having her pop up on a whim would give the poor male an ulcer."

The two bobbed their head to the music. "You know," spoke Ahgony, "when she's not causing us problems, Jessie's a good friend to have."

"As a person or the Pit-bull as NOPD put it?"

"Both!"

Once a new song began, Claudya appeared from the darkness while Jessie danced close by. With a shy look, the female gathered her courage and took Ahgony's hand. When his friend looked back, the prince waved for the two to go on ahead. Jessie joined Fhear once the pair left to go dance somewhere.

Now that it was just the two of them, Fhear grabbed hold of the bouncing human and ventured over to an unoccupied staircase on the opposite side of the warehouse. Stepping under the steels steps, they stood alone from the crowd with only the music and lights around him. "Alright," the prince said to her. "Thanks for the idea. The others are having fun."

"And you?"

Fhear chuckled. "Me, too." His smile faded. "Now the real reason." When Jessie tilted her head, the prince rolled his eyes. "There are plenty of places to escape out of here. I just want to ask you before you slip away."

Understanding that she was made, Jessie turned around to show her back. Given how there was practically no light, Fhear couldn't make out what the human wanted to show. She said he could lean closer which he did. He then noticed a small bruise on her skin.

"It was purple when I woke up," she said to him. "The thing was damn big. Now all that's left is this small pinprick. It still hurts like hell."

Standing up and placing his hand on Jessie's shoulder, the prince could see the hurt the bruise left on her. Even when they were outside, she acted as if nothing was wrong, giving them no cause to look closer and notice the tiny bruise. Now Fhear's mind imagined how big the bruise was when it was inflicted on Jamie, the same injury being transported to his twin.

"They're hurting him," she said to the prince. "I don't know what happened, but they're punishing him for something. He's hurting and I'm not there to stop them. He's my brother, Fhear. My twin. It's my job to protect him."

He understood full well what she was saying. If his friends or the Brothers had been captured and were being tortured, he would've done everything in his power to help. Actually feeling pain because of an ability asked for the pain to be swapped, now that was something the prince would never understand on a deep and personal level.

Fhear took in the rave. Besides Hhavoc who was chilling with the humans, the others were having a time of their lives. Even Ahgony and Claudya were growing closer, the two perfectly made for the other. If Jessie had managed to slip away with none of them noticing, this was a nice way of saying goodbye.

"And how do you plan on finding him?" he asked.

Jessie shrugged. "Like before. I'll just try to keep a low profile."

Shaking his head in disagreement, the prince leaned against the wall. "How about you come back after our time is up?" Fhear held his hand for Jessie to hear him out. "We enjoy our two hours. When we head back to Iron Mask, you and the girls take the Charger to the mansion. I'll have Hhavoc listen and see if he can pick up on any _lesser_ movement. We'll search the streets if he doesn't hear anything. Then after your little church visit, we'll help bust you out again. That'll give you a day or two lead in looking for Jamie."

When Jessie didn't disagree automatically, Fhear held out his hand for her to take. His fingers threaded with hers as he pulled her to his chest. With the mood in the air, the prince was able to fight off his urge to take blood from her. Another motivator was when Jessie leaned her head on him and relaxed in his arms.

"Fine." Taking his hands in hers, she pulled back and began to guide Fhear back to the party. "Work tomorrow. Fun now."

With his hands still in hers, Fhear jerked Jessie back and kissed her. The human slipped her hands from his grasp and wrapped her arms around his neck. Inching out of his embrace, she walked backwards until the both of them were in the middle of the mix. Still in the circle of his arms, Jessie twisted around until her back was against his chest and started swaying in his embrace.

Fhear angled her head up and reclaimed her lips. Securing her hold behind his head and his around her waist, the two danced together without worrying of what time had in store for them.

* * *

"So how much longer do we have to sit here?"

"As long as they're in there, Cop."

Butch shifted around in the seat he kept warm for the last hour and a half. Sitting next to him, V takes a draw from his handroll and leaned over to the lowered window to release the smoke. This was his fifth smoke since they parked it from iAm's place to watch Fhear and his buddies.

The Brothers found out about the fight that went down at Nightfall before First Meal and would've skinned Bhrutal's hide if it weren't for Wrath telling them to chill. The king also told V not to go pick a fight with Jessie since she was the one who kept everyone busy for the fight to happen. Besides the prince who she attacked when frustrated and Lassiter her tormented her based on her religion, Vishous was the only one Jessie dared like hell to fight.

Their previous fight never resumed since the male was too busy fixing the human's mistakes. He was at a loss of words whenever Jessie found some impossible way to cause damage. If only his king would let him have five minute with her, they would finish what they started days ago with V having the human bound and gagged on the floor.

Flicking the handroll outside, V glanced for the millionth time at the clock. The male respected the shit out of his prince, but he silently agreed with Butch. He had better things to do than to stay stuck in his ride for who knew how long. If Wrath really trusted his son to go out with his friends on their own, there was no need to have a shadow on Fhear any longer. Then again, if Fhear hadn't pulled so many disappearing acts in his life with the three usual suspects, many arguments between father and son would've never happened.

"Can't we just call iAm and tell him to watch them?"

"Butch, if Wrath told us to wait here until daybreak, we're waiting here till daybreak."

Bitching some more, the male stretched his cramped legs on his side of the vehicle. Finishing handroll number five and started working on number six, V licked the paper together when his phone vibrated in his pants. The male held the handroll between his teeth as he retrieved the device.

"What do you want, angel?" V growled while reaching for his lighter.

Lassiter firmly said, "Jessie's gone."

Vishous dropped his handroll. "Come again?"

"The human. Is. Gone!"

Placing his phone on speaker so Butch could listen in, V demanded the angel to tell him everything he knew while listing on how many ways to torture the hell out of Jessie.

"Why don't you ask Fhear," barked the angel.

"What does Fhear have to do with this?" Butch asked on their end.

This time it was Phury speaking. "He and the others hid her in the trunk. We couldn't find her so we went through your cameras."

Both males jerked their heads over in the direction of Iron Mask. With Vishous using his phone, Butch dialed up iAm while glaring daggers at the parked Charger. When the male picked up, the first thing Butch said was where was Fhear. Many curses flew in the Escalade when they heard that Fhear and the others never entered the club.

V gave Phury a short command to track the prince's phone, only to have the urge to punch the window when it turned out that the trace led back to Iron Mask. Bad news followed when the Brothers learned that six more signals came from where the Charger was parked. Without a bead on the prince, the Brotherhood had no clue where he and his followers were.

"They took a taxi," commented iAm from Butch's phone. "You can track its path from the license plate."

"Give it," V snarled.

It took only one outing and the prince slipped his leash altogether. Now there was a great chance that his father be nowhere near forgiving. As for those who helped aid in this, nothing could shield them for the punishment the king would throw down on them. And with Jessie escaping the mansion, her days were surely numbered once the Brotherhood got through with her.

* * *

Locked in each other's arms, Jessie could've stayed like that if it hadn't been for Hhavoc interrupting the two. Fhear didn't seem to appreciate his friend stopping the never-ending dance the song demanded. But when the human saw the seriousness in Hhavoc's eyes, she knew damn well something only the male knew about was happening.

"We've got two problems."

Jessie looked around for the other couples while Fhear spoke to his friend. "What kind of problems?" asked the prince. Jessie spotted Dhusk and Ahgony, waving her hand for them to join their group.

"The Brothers are on their way."

With them regrouped, Jessie pointed to her lips in a signal for Claudya. The female's hands snapped up to her face, blushing from how puckered they were. Jessie smiled at her friend, glad that she could be herself for once in a limited time.

"We also have _lessers_ outside."

Paige and Claudya edged closer to Dhusk and Ahgony. As for Jessie, the human felt as if the world was rewarding her. But no matter how appealing this reward was, she knew there were those with her who didn't know how to fight. Getting them mixed up in a mess they most likely wouldn't walk out alive would play on her conscious.

As people continued to dance around them, a terrible idea formed in Jessie's head and she wasn't ready to let it go. Because of his strange ability, Hhavoc took one look at the human and shook his head like he couldn't believe what he was hearing. She only quirked her brow to see if he had a better idea. Clearly not, the male waved his hand for her to share her bright idea.

"Just give me five minutes."

"What do you need five minutes for?" Dhusk asked. The male's eyes then bulged when Jessie started pulling her top further down.

"You get the girls out of here," instructed Jessie, snatching a beer bottle from some random stranger and gulping it dry. Tossing the bottle on the ground along with the neon wig, the human ran her fingers through her hair. " _Lessers_ are still men." She waved at her body. "And men will want the same thing eventually."

"Jessie—"

She patted Fhear on his chest. "Get the girls out. Wait for five minutes. Then the five of us bug out before the _lessers_ find out what happened. If trouble happens, the Brotherhood is not far behind. Now get going."

Before Fhear had a chance to disagree, Jessie pushed her way past the DJ stand and away from the lights. Locating the exit upstairs, she took two steps at a time and eased the door open. She held her breath when the hinges creaked from rust. Once it was wide enough for her to poke her head out, the human eyed the steps leading down.

There had to be at least twenty _lessers_ skulking about.

Breath smelling like buzz and her hair a mess, Jessie put her game face on and purposely tripped outside. Falling against the railing with hysterical laughter, she kept her foot back and nudged a beer can so the door wouldn't lock on her. White eyes zoomed up and watched her as she swayed down the steel steps and caught herself before falling to the ground.

"Hello," she drawled.

Those near her snickered, amused in finding a drunk woman coming towards them. Jessie threw herself to the nearest one, one arm around his neck and her other hand reaching in his pants. The _lesser_ was happily distracted that he didn't notice the hand skimming around in his front pockets.

"Now what are you boys doing out here?" Jessie flicked her hair in the direction in the door. "The party's over there."

"Well, how about we have a party here?" flirted the _lesser_ she was holding onto.

"I like that idea." She turned her droopy eyes at the others. "Want to have a party here?"

Laughter echoed over the group. Some even took a step forward, their hidden meeting clearly forgotten. Keeping up her performance, Jessie was close in finding what she wanted when a _lesser_ jerked her back. Stumbling for real and almost busting her head on the steps, she looked at the one who stopped her.

"She's Mr. J's fucking sister."

Shit.

* * *

By the time Fhear saw Paige and Claudya escape in a taxi, black vehicles pulled up in front of him and the males. Brothers poured out, faces full of rage and murder. They would have to wait considering Jessie's five minutes were almost up.

Tohrment in the lead of the Brothers, the male walked straight up to his prince and appeared like he was about get his share in punishing Fhear when humans started running out of the warehouse. The males reached for their humans and scanned the fleeing crowd for the threat. It wasn't seen but they heard a gunshot go off inside.

Fhear was the first to push past the crowd into the warehouse. Music was still playing, lights more blinding than before. The prince circled around the half empty room when he spotted Jessie jumping from the second floor and landing behind the booth. Missing the landing and falling on her back, the human rolled around before getting back on her feet and hopping to the floor. Above her, _lessers_ streamed out with guns drawn.

Reaching for his shurikens, Fhear took out the first row of _lessers_ before taking cover when bullets came for his head. Soon guns on his end went off, signaling that he Brothers were engaging with the enemy. Fhear stood up from his spot and watched as Jessie run straight through the mess and continued running like she was on fire past Fhear and out the door. With Ahgony by his side, the prince shook his head and followed Jessie with his friend right behind. If it was another night, Fhear would've stayed and fought with the Brotherhood. But from the way how Jessie shot out of the warehouse, she knew the numbers of the enemy and knew a losing battle when she saw

Taking his chance to turn around, Fhear ran as he counted the numbers of his enemy. The first row he took out might as well be nothing since so many flooded in. With the numbers growing by the second, it was a damn miracle on how the enemy kept their numbers hidden from someone like Hhavoc. Even the male was shocked by the way how his mouth hung loose.

Two lights going off, a dragon and black wolf attacked the _lessers_ while the other males retreated to protect their prince. Emerging in fresh air, Fhear saw Jessie dive into the Escalade and pop back out with V's spare in hand. She jumped out and fired a shot out in the darkness, a _lessers_ body falling out of the shadows.

More _lessers_ flowed around the outside of the warehouse, a sign that the meeting Fhear and his friends discovered had been a major gathering. The prince took the gun from Jessie and covered the Brothers as they returned to the vehicles and put them in reverse. One lingered back as two Brothers cared a naked Rhage inside and a wolf squeezing itself inside.

Bullets shot out the windows, resulting in a cursing Jessie and her giving the enemy the finger as they drove off. Bringing her hand safely back inside, the human noticed who was driving and made a face. Fhear restrained himself from making the same expression when Vishous glared at them from the rearview mirror.

"Hold it." So many heads swerved away when Jessie reached between her breasts and produced a cellphone. She half crawled up to the front seat and waved it in front of V's face. "I think this might be useful."

"I am not touching that," muttered Butch.

Jessie pushed the phone up against V's face, ignoring the growl coming from his throat. "We just happened to be at the wrong place at the right time," she mocked to the male. "So do you want this or should I throw it away?"

"Cop, take it."

"I'm not—"

Vishous bared his teeth. Butch reluctantly took the cellphone. "Is what she says true?" V demanded from Fhear.

The prince pushed Jessie back when a sharp turn had her leaning against him. "Yes. We had not idea they were there. When we found out, Jessie went to go buy time and information as we got Paige and Claudya out. Our intention was never to start a fight."

A lard snarl came from behind Fhear. The prince shifted in the narrow space and paled when he saw Z sitting in the back.

Sitting in the back with Jessie's ass in his face.

"Shut it," the human hissed back to the male. "I'm stuck."

"Figure it out," Zsadist snapped.

"Hey! Why don't you grow some double Ds and wedge yourself in a small space? Then you 'figure it out' and tell me how to."

"Z, save it for the mansion," V ordered. The male released a hand from the wheel and palmed Jessie's face, forcefully pushing her back to the seat. All that was accomplished was a hissing human and a top which seemed ready to pop off. Now with it established that she was truly stuck, Vishous returned his focus on the road. "Why did you lie about where you were going?"

Fhear kept a steady hand on Jessie's shoulder when another turn came. "Would you really want to wait outside a rave?"

No one was eager to answer.

"We just went to have fun," inserted Jessie. "No harm, no foul."

Another palm to the face by Vishous, his version of shutting her up. The male yelped when Jessie bit him on the hand. Butch shook his head and did his best to keep his distance from the human.

No matter the situation, Jessie's action had Fhear smiling. Looking past the half of her body to those who shared the cramped room with, there were hidden smiles from the others. Maybe she could keep them smiling to the mansion.

* * *

Jessie shrieked when the icepack touched her back. Adding the ice to her sore back was like having a million bugs dancing over her flesh. It only worsened every time Fhear's hand moved an inch. Unable to accept the ongoing sting, she snatched the pack and threw it to the bottom of a trashcan. Now it was Jane's menacing glare that had her reconsidering the action. When the doctor didn't let up, Jessie mumbled for Fhear to get her another pack.

Arriving to the mansion and finally removing herself from her stuck position, Jessie had been sent to the infirmary after Fhear told them about her fall. It wasn't like she planned the fall. The damn _lessers_ chased her and she missed the stairs. Her only way of escape was to jump and hope she landed right. Landing on her back hadn't been part of the plan whatsoever. At least it was bruised and not broken.

Everyone who was part of the adventure waited for Wrath to announce their punishment when they arrived. Even when Jessie sat patiently for Jane to do her examination, the human anxiously waited for the king's words. Her worries hardly budged down a notch when Fhear walked in and told her his father would overlook tonight's event. Apparently her noble deed also helped sway Wrath's decision now that they had a lead on the enemy.

"My best advice is for you not to be jumping from high place for a while," instructed Jane.

"I think I'll follow your adv—ah!" Jessie nearly jumped out of her seat when Fhear returned the ice to her back. "Find anything," she bit out to the prince.

"V's still searching through it," he answered. "It's a simple slide phone so there's not much to go on. And because V won't admit it, I'll thank you on his behalf."

"He surely wouldn't admit that," his _shellan_ confirmed.

Jessie clawed her hand at the pack, promising not to discard it like the first if Fhear handed it over. Giving her what she wanted, Jessie rolled over onto her stomach and rested the pack where it needed to be. She bit down on a pillow as the ice adjusted itself to the curves of her body.

"Well, since no one is killing anyone tonight, I think I can leave." Jane returned her items to where they belonged and pointed another glare at Jessie before leaving. Jessie waved goodbye to the good doctor.

"So no punishment?"

Fhear sat on the opposite bed. "No punishment. He even said Cohnrad won't find out unless Claudya decides to tell her father." The prince snickered when Jessie kept quiet. "And yes, you can still ride with Butch to mass. But I highly advise not to pull anything from where it shouldn't be."

Laughing into the bed and rotating the icepack, Jessie propped her chin on the pillow and blew her hair aside. "So much for our plan."

Leaving the bed and getting on his knees, Fhear faced Jessie at eye level and took her hands. "I will have Hhavoc look, I promise. We will find your brother before the _lessers_ can harm him any further."

Jessie smiled at Fhear's confidence. Giving his hand a good shake, she told him she would be on the bed for a while and that it was okay for him to leave. Telling him that she would be up to attend her first Last Meal, Jessie watched as Fhear left her in the infirmary all alone. She waited a bit longer to make sure no one would barge in before sitting up and reaching into her boot.

None of the Brother knew that she snatched a second phone from a _lesser_. Stealing her extra prize had been a tricky business, a bunch of body slamming and quick hand work. Her action was a success because she now searched through the contact list. All of the contacts had single letters, representation of the enemies' former names. Jessie found the letter J and took in a shaky breath.

She hit the dial button and listened for someone to pick up.

"Hello?"

* * *

The night mass worked wonders for Jessie's troubled mind. Besides her routinely hour blank moment and Butch nudging her to focus every now and then, it was good to sit in the church. It kind of reminded her home just a bit, besides Grams flicking her granddaughter to focus. She relished in the feeling of home.

With the priest ending the mass and those attending the service doing the sign of the cross, Jessie and Butch waited until they were the last ones standing. Then the two looked at the pew behind them and smacked the males snoozing with the music books. Sohrrow knocked his knees against the wood and Ehnvy clutched his head, the brothers swallowing whatever curse that was about to roll off their lips.

"Are we done?" the oldest whispered, perhaps too afraid to raise his voice in the church.

"Yes. We can go," said Butch.

"And I thought I was the impatient one," grumbled Jessie.

As the four of them headed to the back of the church, Jessie inched over to the side. At the end of the path was a confession booth under a grand archway. Both of the doors were shut, the wood perfect to keep whatever confession spoken a secret. The wood needed to be extra thick for all the sins Jessie would confess. Keeping put, she waited for the males to notice one of their own missing.

"Might as well get confession out of the way," she said to them.

"Wrath said to come straight back after mass," Butch argued.

"Then I'll make it fast," she countered.

Jessie turned on her heels and marched up to the booth, waving for the males to wait outside. Butch had the brains of the group because he kept his mouth shut and started pushing the brothers outside. Once they were long gone, Jessie closed the door and sat in the wooden chair. The latticed opening was covered, keeping the priest's side private.

"Forgive me Father, for I have sinned," she recited as she did the sign of the cross. When no one on the other side, especially a priest for that matter, spoke, Jessie sighed and kicked out her legs. "I'm pretty sure there's a special place in hell for us."

The opening slid open with Jamie doing the cross over his body. "Oh, I'm pretty sure there is."


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter Thirty Three

Ever since Jessie hit Blay with her car, this was the first time she'd laid eyes on her brother after arriving in Caldwell. Deep down in her bones, something dark and viscous turned at the sight of Jamie's hair and eyes. This was the same feeling she always obtained before beating some bastard's face in the ground for harming her brother. Now as the twins met eyes after being apart for so long, Jessie wanted to march out of this church and start a manhunt for the _lessers_ , beat them with her own fists to the point where her hands broke or something powerful and divine stopped her.

Knowing who his sister was, Jamie reached through the gap and gripped her on the shoulder. It was weak compared to the Brothers whenever she got in a fight with them. Jamie's hold on her was so weak he wouldn't be able to keep her sitting if she decided to follow up on her impulses. Having risked a lot just to see him, Jessie knocked Jamie's hand off and lowered her head, balancing herself on her knuckles as she bowed. Repeating the Holy Mary five times, the human sucked in a large amount of air and sat back in her chair.

"We need to go," she instructed her brother. "The Brothers are waiting outside so we can sneak out through the back. It won't be hard getting on a plane home."

Jamie drew his arm back on his side. "I'm not going anywhere."

"You're not fighting me on this, Jamie. I am taking you home, even if it means dragging you kicking and screaming."

"You don't understand," her brother bit out. He grabbed his hair, white strands sticking through his fingers. "I'm a _lesser_. A goddamn _lesser_." The twins made the cross together. "The one who made me, the Omega, will know where I went and send the others after me. They'll find our family."

"Let me take care of this Omega."

"Jessie, he's a god. A real life god."

Jessie smashed her fist in the wooden wall next to her. "Another fucking god," she growled. "First Týr and now this bastard. I'm sick and tired of gods playing with our lives." Looking over at her brother, Jessie waited for him to ask who Týr was. Her energy drained when Jamie kept his head turned from her. "You knew? You knew about Týr?"

Not denying her question, Jamie nodded. "I figured it out a couple years ago. I confronted Grams and she told me the truth." Jamie brought his gaze up to his sister, so distant and hurt from keeping the truth from her. "A god messing with our bloodline just because he was bored. A bond between twins, one bound to take the other's pain if it came to that. When Grams confirmed my suspicion, it finally made sense. You only protected me because our blood made you."

"You know damn well that—"

"Jessie," Jamie warned, his voice picking up a foreign accent, "peut on reprocher à une dieu pour nos problèmes et non pas lui?"

 _Jessie, can we blame a god for our problems and not him?_

Understanding how old this conversation was, Jessie grunted and decided to continue in their second language. "Amende. Tout ce que je sais est que j'ai un dieu je ont besoin battre la merde hors de. Je ne pense pas que je peux gérer deux," she answered through her teeth.

 _Fine. All I know is that I have a god I need to beat the crap out of. I do not think I can handle two._

Jamie released a tired laugh. "Bien," he chuckled. "Et en parlant des dieux, que diriez-vous me dire ce qui est arrivé au quartier des entrepôts, l'autre soir?"

 _Good. And speaking of gods, how about you tell me what happened in the warehouse district the other night._

Having nothing to hide from her brother, Jessie shrugged her shoulders and crossed her ankles together. "Ne le laissez pas aller à votre tête. J'étais simplement là pour avoir du plaisir avec mes nouveaux amis. Mon interaction avec vos bâtards était par hasard." Jessie paused for a moment when a though occurred. "Pourquoi ont été _lessers_ à la rave?"

 _Do not let it go to your head. I was just there to have fun with my new friends. My interaction with your bastards was by chance. Why were_ lessers _at the rave?_

"Recrutement," her brother answered honestly. "Comme de en retard, leur chiffres ont été de plus en plus. Je ne sais pas pourquoi, si vous demandez. Je juste travail la des ordinateurs."

 _Recruitment. As of late, their numbers have been growing. I do not know why, if you're wondering. I just work the computers._

Before Jessie could ask anything else, Jamie switched back to English as he said, "Go home, sister. The Omega will find me no matter what. I don't want to drag the rest of our family into this war."

"Jamie—"

"Please," he begged. "I know you being here is causing you pain. Our link is twice as strong as it was when we were children. The more they punish me for failing, the more you suffer. Go home so you can be at ease. Knowing you're far away will make my job easier."

Jessie twisted the knob and pushed herself out of the booth. No one was around, let alone a brother. The priest had cleansed the church by incense during the mass, masking Jamie's odd scent. It's burnt odor still lingered in the air, protecting her twin as he stepped outside to join her.

"I can't do that," she confessed. Facing her brother, Jessie had to come clean with him. "Our family aren't the only ones who know I won't come back without you. The Brotherhood know I would burn their city to the ground if it meant taking you back with me."

Jamie ran his hand through his strange hair. "Well, given how you caused them hell and stuff, no surprise really. But seriously, Jessie. The _lessers_ know who you are. Take this opportunity and run. Forget about him and live for yourself just this once." He held up his hand when she began to protest. "Didn't you say you were done playing his game? Please, this one time, live up to your words and do just that. Quite playing and live."

"Jamie."

The twins jumped when they heard the backdoors open. Instead of it being Butch or the brothers, it was Vishous who came in looking for her. Faltering a second at the sight of the giant cross at the front, the male swiveled around until spotting Jessie. Out of fear for her brother, Jessie was about to tell Jamie to run when she found herself standing by her lonesome self. In the far distance, she could hear a door closing shut.

"You done make peace with your god?" asked V.

Jessie played it cool by rolling her eyes and purposely bumping into the male. "As good as it'll ever be."

* * *

"I think my father knows my feelings for Ahgony!" cried Claudya.

"Should that be a surprise?"

The female flattened herself over the island. "No," she sobbed. "But with my engagement to Fhear, it just feels like I'm disappointing my father. And—" As if realizing something was happening around her, Claudya propped her head on her chin and took in the kitchen. "—what are you doing?"

Four pots of oil occupied the stove, set at a specific temperature to warm the oil. Once clean mixing bowls were covered in flower and egg woke as Jessie worked her fingers through the rough dough. Hair tied back and an apron over her clothes, streaks of flour covered her cheeks. "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm making beignets."

Claudya pointed at the giant pots waiting to be used. "Oh, I plan to make a lot."

"Why?"

Jessie withdrew her doughy fingers and ticked off. "Some fore me, which is, like, a lot. Then I know some of the Brothers and their families will want some. I also need to factor in a pesky angel who's been sulking around here for a while. And to top the cake, this is a proper apology for that shitty future I read for your old man."

Blinking at the beginning of a growing mess, Claudya inched a bit away from the island in her seat. "May I ask where the _doggen_ are?"

"I kicked them out." Jessie resumed with her mixing. "Told them to go shopping and that was that. If you're not a Beauvillier woman, you don't want to cross her in the kitchen." The human whipped her head up and snarled when someone joined the two in the kitchen. Fhear and Ahgony raised their hands to show they came in piece. At the sight of the prince's face, Claudya jerked around so the two wouldn't see how red she was.

"Just wanted to make sure you didn't burn down the place," laughed Fhear.

"I'm cooking, not escaping. There's a damn difference," she hissed.

"Cooking," drawled Ahgony. "I don't know if that's good or bad."

The male went to the floor when a roll of dough smacked him in the eye.

"Now if you gentlemen don't have something nice to say, get out. I have a bunch of work ahead of me and I don't even have the first batch in."

Apparently her cooking distraction wouldn't go her way because more bodies showed. Jessie didn't know how much dough she could spare to scare them away. Ahgony was already getting up to his feet with Claudya peeling it from his face.

Since Tohrment was the first to enter at his own risk, Jessie was about to launch another flying ball when the male held up her phone. A light blinked on the device, signaling that she had one missed call. Jessie snatched Fhear by the wrist and ordered him mix for another two minutes before placing the dough on the surface she sprinkled with flour and knead it. She threatened to rip his balls off if the dough wasn't perfect. With the prince working in hopes of pleasing her, Jessie wringed her finger with the apron and snatched her phone.

Her mood turned sour for some ominous reason when she saw it was Grams who called. Noting how the call was only ten minutes late, she redialed her grandmother and tapped her fingers on the counter as the phone rang. Jessie didn't expect Grams to sound out of breath when she picked up.

"Grams, what's wrong?"

"Jessie, I am so sorry."

Jessie bent her head down, tucking the phone between her chin and shoulder. "Tell me what happened. Did something happen to the family?"

"No, dear. It's just that—oh, how do I tell you?"

"Tell me what? Grams, you're really freaking me out."

Her grandmother took in a shaky breath. "Baby, we tried. We tried so hard. But one of your cousins got too drunk and let it spill. I'm so sorry."

Life drained out of Jessie's body.

"His plane left the airport a few minutes ago. He'll be in Caldwell in a couple of hours."

Ending the call and placing her phone to the side, the world seemed to spin out of control. Gripping the marble edge to balance herself, Jessie bowed her head and breathed. With each breath she took, dread filled her to the bone with the knowledge of him.

Someone asked her if she was alright. Shaking her head, Jessie bolted out of the kitchen and screamed at the top of her lungs for V. Luckily the male was nearby because his head poked out of the billiard room. He might as well have ignored her because he dropped the pool stick when Jessie asked, "Can you take out an airplane?"

No one joked at her request from the seriousness on her face. "Can you take out an airplane?" she repeated.

"Hell no!"

"Fuck!"

Jessie forgot about her pastries and ran straight back inside the kitchen, not being gentle when she probed John for his car keys. Her sticky fingers finding what she needed, Jessie took off to the door leading to the garage with apron and all. The only thing stopping her was when Z placed a firm hand on the door, keeping her from her intended destination.

Having caused a scene, those in the mansion swarmed around. This time Jessie didn't snap at the male or threaten to have his face broken. She simply looked up and stared straight into his golden gaze. "Step aside," she said in her calmest voice.

"And why should I?" challenged the male.

Now that there was a crowd watching them, Jessie fitted the key ring around her finger and twirled it as she pursed her lips. Nodding her head as if accepting some crime, she turned her gaze towards the Brothers as her stomach twisted on what she was about to tell them.

"My dad is on his way."

* * *

No one protested when Fhear said he would accompany them to the airport. In fact, those who were coming simply nodded their heads and almost took off without him. The prince figured what was going through their minds and knew they were off the mark. He and Jessie spoke about her father and he knew there would be no father-daughter reunion when he got off the plane. His reason for tagging along was because he feared that Jessie might start some fight with the man and someone might end up injured at the end.

Waiting for two hours, the plane coming in from New Orleans was now disembarking. The human's nerves had been eating her ever since they arrived. Since Fhear was the one who expected something like this, her reaction was kind of freaking the males out. Sure, they were shocked when she asked V if he could take down an entire plane. Now spending two hours with a leg-tapping-nail-biting Jessie was scaring the crap out of them.

As people began arriving from the plane, Fhear stood next to the human while the others were around. V was leaning against a phone booth twenty feet away from him with Butch, Mehrcy and Nightmahre were seated in front of an open Burger King, and occupying two seats in the waiting section was Phury and Ahgony. With it just being the two of them standing in front of the terminal, Fhear reached for Jessie's chewed hand and wrapped his fingers around hers.  
Jessie's grip strangled his when a man came down the terminal. Taking one look at him and Fhear already knew who he was. Elliot du Bois looked just like his daughter with the exception of dyed hair and greyish blue eyes. Dark brown hair trimmed in a military fashion and wearing his civilian clothes like a soldier, brown eyes surveyed the thinning crowd before latching onto his daughter. Fhear could feel the cold coming from Elliot's gaze as they traveled down to their clasped hands and at the prince.

Something in Fhear snapped and snarled the way how Elliot seemed uninterested in his blood, acting as if she were nothing. This time the grip holding his hand was to keep the prince from marching up to the human and taking by the shirt, demanding what his problem was. He did his best to stay put as Elliot hoisted his duffle bag over his shoulder and approached the two of them. Not as tall as Fhear but over towering his daughter, Elliot looked down at with a distasteful look. The human paused, his eyes wander around, lingering in the direction of each and every Brother.

"See you've been making peculiar friends," Elliot said as a greeting, his voice void of any emotion.

"What are you doing here?" Jessie demanded from the man.

Elliot's gaze drifted over her head and focused on Fhear, his stare deprived of feelings just like his voice. "I heard Jamie was in trouble. Figured it was a father's duty to find his son." Now he looked at Jessie. Fhear cringed as he watched her bow her head in shame. "I find it insulting that the family tried to keep me in the dark. Is that because you could not complete on simple task?"

"Jamie doesn't want to come home."

"And how do you know what he wants if you have not seen him in weeks?"

This time Jessie raised her head and met her father's eyes. "Because I spoke to him earlier tonight."

Fhear glanced back, waving for the Brothers to stay put. This was news to them as well. No doubt that this meeting between twins took place at the church. It was the perfect place for them to meet. Now Fhear found it strange how Jessie didn't take her brother and make a run for it when they had the chance.

"He said there was nothing I could do and told me to just leave him," she explained. "Of course, I don't plan on doing so. I can still bring him home."

The silence coming from Elliot was killing Fhear. The more he watched his daughter without a hint of emotion, the more he wanted to beat the bastard. Jessie said the two of them didn't get along, she didn't mention how her father treated her worse than dirt. Watching her moment of courage die like a candle and bowing her head a second time was like twisting a knife in him.

"You are no longer needed here," her father decreed.

Ahgony was by his friend's side the moment Fhear wanted to argue. As for Elliot, he just looked at the prince as if he was bored.

"Yes, I am," Jessie said, her voice wavering. "He's my brother and it's my duty to take care of him."

"Not anymore."

Now it was the Brothers crossing the distance between them.

"You are to go back to New Awlins and do nothing," Elliot instructed, acting as if he were speaking to a soldier. "Or you can go somewhere else. That is up to you. As for your brother, you have failed so you have no point in staying. I am pretty positive you have caused this city trouble. Stay any longer and the police will know who has caused the damage and see to your arrest. Now step aside. You are in my way."

Elliot pushed right between Fhear and Jessie, breaking whatever contact the prince had over her. As their connection broke, Fhear watched something in Jessie break as well. She stood there, staring at nothing, the look of defeat written all over her face.

Fhear spun around, stopped by Ahgony from taking a step towards the human. "You—"

"No."

Halting in front of V and Mehrcy, Elliot shifted to face Jessie. Fists clenched to the side of her shaking body, she faced her father with what little energy she still possessed. "Jamie told me to start doing things my way and I am. He is my brother and I no longer need your consent to protect him. I will do it because I want to." Her fists tightened, threatening to draw blood. "And if you are tired of me, consider your hands washed of a problem. I hereby take the name Beauvillier."

For once in their encounter, Fhear witnessed an emotion in Elliot and he didn't like it one bit. There was no curiosity or annoyance in her father's dark and cold eyes. Instead, the prince watched as a man looked at his daughter with nothing but hatred.

"Very well then. What you do is on your accord. A cell was where you always belonged." Those eyes of his narrowed, preparing to break Jessie once and for all. "As for the name, do not try to fool yourself. The wall waits for you."

Fhear didn't have the slightest clue what Elliot meant. However, when the prince looked back at Jessie, the words must've been important because Jessie's spark was gone.

"How dare you speak to your daughter like that," Fhear heard Night growl at the man.

Ahgony wrapped his arms around the prince when they all heard Elliot claim, "I only have one child and he is my son."

It was Mehrcy who told the Brothers to let the man pass. Not once did he turn back to look at Jessie. Once he was gone, V and Butch followed his path, no doubt more than ready to wipe the human's memories and send him back to the hell he crawled out of.

Fhear pushed Ahgony away now that he was out of killing range from Elliot. Taking his rage and tucking it away somewhere deep so it could never rise again, Fhear turned and took Jessie's hand in his. The prince felt the emotion he just locked away resurge when Jessie's hand remained limp in his grasp. When he whispered her name, her head moved and she looked at him, but there was nothing in her eyes. Whatever the meaning to Elliot's words killed who Jessie was and left an empty shell in his wake.

* * *

It took hollow words to get Fhear away. Now that she was alone, Jessie sat on the edge of the tub as the hot water filled it up. Steam filled the room, fogging the mirror embedded in the wall across from her. Jessie didn't move an inch when the burning water brushed against her fingertips.

The first time she stood her ground and her father damned her in return.

For twenty-four years, the man despised the child his wife bore for him. For twenty-four years, her father always favored Jamie, ignoring his firstborn. And once in her entire life, Elliot du Bois spoke to her without venom in his voice. _"Protect your brother_ ," he demanded of her, a six-year-old child when he saw her tackle one of her cousins after they had harmed Jamie. Ever since then, not one word came from her father without distaste.

Now he took that one thing which connected the two.

Jessie already knew Elliot was back on his way to New Awlins. They had waited outside until V confirmed watching the man getting on the plane. Then there was that deathly silence they all suffered on the way back to the mansion. Out of everyone under this roof, the only person who knew what the wall meant was Victoria. It was only a matter of time until someone manned up and asked the woman what Elliot told his own daughter.

Sitting alone in the stuffy room, Jessie curled her fingers around the sharp object. She knew her father never wanted her, not after what she had done. Instead of tossing her to the curb, he kept her around only to remind her of a sin she committed unintentionally. Then he bound her to her brother's side with a single command. Now being rid of her once and for all, a kind and loving family on her mother's side could never remedy this sensation. A dark and evil fate awaited Jessie once she returned. A fate her father made sure would happen the day she drew her first breath.

Jamie wanted her out of Caldwell, fearing for the person who's protected him since childhood. The Brotherhood wanted her miles away from their home even if they were now used to her wild presence. Now a threat of being kept in a prison cell from her father dangled over her head.

Too many people wanted her gone for good or selfish reasons. Adding load after load onto her shoulders, Jessie no longer had the strength to fight on. And all it took was the word from the one person who she desperately wanted affection from when she was a little girl. A father's love was the one thing in the entire world she yearned for, knowing she would never receive it.

Elliot had damned his own flesh and blood to a fate worse than death.

* * *

The drink didn't take the edge off of Fhear. Instead, it only fueled the growing fire inside him to go after Jessie's father and put him six feet under. And no one was hiding it after getting back home. All of the males who saw him wanted to aid in the prince's vendetta against the human.

That sick bastard treated Jessie like nothing. Then he acted as if she wasn't even his daughter. And whatever the wall meant was the tipping point for Jessie, taking who she was and throwing it away into some dark corner. Unable to do anything but watch, Fhear was disgusted in himself.

As he reached over to refill his drink, he glanced around the kitchen. It had been a total mess when they left in a hurry. Now the place was sparkling clean. All the beignets Jessie had abandoned were now gone since Lassiter took over and finished the job. Fhear heard the angel and Rhage took their fill of the pastries before anyone could get their hands on them. Thinking that Jessie made these for everyone felt like a cruel dream.

His friends were scattered around the kitchen, each male silently taking a drink of their own poison. Fhear and Ahgony told the cousins what happened, Dhusk's other personality slipping back for a split second and Hhavoc breaking a cup in his hand. Now with the males brooding in their corners, a powerful urge to go back upstairs to check on Jessie intensified in Fhear. Something was wrong and leaving her alone scared the shit out of him.

"Does anyone know what the fucking wall means?" Dhusk asked, repeating the popular question of the night.

Everyone turned when they heard Hhavoc clearing his throat. "I asked the twins," he confessed, referring to Evelyn and Frédérique. With this being news to the others, they waited with little patience for the male to continue. "Something about it having to down with New Orleans. They took off before I could ask them more."

Not an answer he was expecting, the prince tossed back his drink and refilled the cup all the way up to the rim. Tonight was a shitty night and he was going to need a lot of liquor to curve his anger.

The four snapped to attention when the door smacked against the wall and was kicked back in place. Strutting up to the males and surveying the room to make sure they were alone, Victoria folded her arms across her chest, pupils almost overshadowing her blue eyes.

"Now what is this about a wall?" the human asked the prince in a dark voice, a clear sign the darkness in her was with them in this conversation.

Fhear managed to the entire drink before dropping the cup on the counter, shaking his head from the burning sensation. "New Orleans," he said to start things off. "Jessie's father said something about a wall. Is there some importance to what he said?"

Everyone held their breath when Victoria's blue eyes were instantly surrounded by black. They breathed when the black vanished and her pupils were back to their unusual size. "New Orleans has certain ways in burying their dead," Victoria explained. "You have families who've lived in the city for a few generations and those who helped build it from the ground up. The Beauvillier family is a good example. One of the founders of the city and hailing from nobility back in France, they have every right to a family tomb."

"That's where family members are buried in the same spot, right?"

Victoria nodded to Dhusk's question. "Having a family tomb is like staying connected to your ancestors. They were buried in the same spot and you have the opportunity to buried with them." She waved her hand. "Now there are normal plots where you can be buried and tombs for ancient societies can be buried in. I believe they do that with jazz players and the sort."

When she didn't continue, Fhear had this foreboding feeling the human was pausing.

"There are also what are called wall vaults. Tombs inside a wall."

Hhavoc rolled his eyes. "Those are all over America. How can it be any different in New Orleans?"

Victoria's eyes shifted, imitating the darkness's restlessness in her body. "Back then, wall vaults were used to hold those who died from illness before moving them to a plot or tomb. Now people buy them for a single individual or to host an entire family. Small compared to the others but they at least have something." Again, she paused with the darkness stirring. "But in the old days, before illness and families, the wall vaults were used for something else."

The tension was killing him. "What? What were they used for?" Fhear demanded through clenched teeth.

Victoria took in a deep breath. "Criminals. They were used to hide away criminals." Now both her and the darkness locked eyes on Fhear. "For someone who isn't allowed to be buried with their family and locked away in a tiny grave surrounded by those who did wrong and knowing your bones will be shoved to the back of a drop where more bones are to make room for the next body is worse than hell."

It was Fhear's turn to be at a loss of words.

"And knowing who Jessie is, being buried in the Beauvillier tomb means the world to her."

"But her father…" mumbled Ahgony.

"Yeah, I heard. Erasing his memory or not, that man already knew what he was going to do with his daughter when she died. No scrubbing of the memory can get rid of a long thought plan. Jessie is already damned to that wretched hell no matter what."

The look of defeat became perfectly clear. Jessie, a strong woman who would fight the world for her brother, would undoubtedly want to be with her family after death. Most likely be with the woman who brought her into this world and died in doing so. Something so spiritual was precious to a person like her.

And he watched it be ripped out of her grasp from a man who should've loved her.

Hhavoc's body jerked, knocking his bottle onto the floor. Drawing the attention to him, all he did was look straight at Fhear with eyes full of dread. Once the prince saw his friend's fearful gaze, he tore out of the kitchen and ran up the stairs to Jessie's room. Not stopping to ask her permission, Fhear rammed the door open with his shoulder when his hand slipped over the locked doorknob.

His ears catching the sound of running water, Fhear sprinted across the room and shoved open the door. The prince automatically grabbed Jessie and pressed her up against the wall, one hand on her heavying chest and the other pinning the hand holding a sharp razor. A drop of blood fell and rolled over Fhear's knuckles, creating a haunting trail of red. Fhear felt his entire body twist and break in pain as he looked down at Jessie's wrist, noting a faint line of red. It was enough to break the skin but cause no harm.

Tearing his gaze from her wrist and to her eyes, all Fhear saw was a defeated look on someone who always refused defeat. The razor slipped from her fingers, falling between the two and Fhear kicking it away. He then dragged Jessie to his chest and held her in his tight embrace.

If it hadn't been for Hhavoc's ability, no one would've known until it was too late. Fhear would've lost the woman who stole his heart in flash, finding her body in a pool of blood with the knowledge she died alone in sorrow. Knowing her own father manipulated her into taking her own life because she was nothing more than a problem for him. Elliot du Bois would have his daughter kill herself and then bury her in a place where she could never be with her family ever again.

Fhear would personally drag the human to lowest depth of hell if it meant he could _ahvenge_ his female.


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter Thirty Four

"This isn't Jessie, is it?"

Fhear kept his lips shut. The only thing heard on both ends of the conversation was his deep breathing. Filling his lungs full of oxygen was the only thing he could do right after what happened.

Word quickly spread of Jessie's suicidal attempt and it worsened when everyone found out what the wall meant. Half of the Brotherhood was ready to drop everything and hunt down Elliot like the fucker he was. No matter how many times they complained about Jessie, she somehow found a spot in their world unknowingly and nearly being ripped away was too much.

Fhear stayed by Jessie's side long after she fell asleep. He was too afraid to take his eyes off of her for a second. Her silence was eating him alive and there wasn't a thing he could do. All he was best for was to sit on the sidelines and watch his female drown in sorrow and despair. It was at her bedside that he noticed the cellphone she hid between the bedframe and wall. Realizing it was a burner and it was used to make one call the same night they got back from the rave, Fhear had to swallow his instincts not to leave and redialed the number.

"You must be one of my sister's friends she mentioned. I know she's alive." There was a shuddering sigh. "Our father showed up, didn't he?"

The prince took in another long breath. "Your father has a target on his back," spoke Fhear in a low voice. He was outside in the garden so no one was around to listen in. Besides, Hhavoc was in a listening mood and he promised to call his friend if anyone ventured in his direction.

"What did he do? And what do I call you?"

"Fhear. And your father just denied your sister her right to be buried with her family." At first, Fhear was expecting Jamie du Bois to be outraged or something. When there was just another sigh, the prince wanted to reach into the cellphone and pull him out. "Why don't you sound surprised?"

He could hear Jamie stand and close what sounded like a door. The _lessers_ must've been out, leaving their ace in the hole unprotected. And this conversation was definitely one that needed to happen behind closed doors. Jamie spoke in French for a second, speaking what Fhear assumed was some sort of prayer.

"If you wish to kill my father after what I'm about to tell you, I completely understand and won't stop you. But if you go through with this, it will be Jessie who won't forgive you."

"He's the one who's harmed her," the prince growled. "Your own father harmed his child and you're telling me she'll defend him? She wouldn't—".

The song. The one she performed during the competition between Lassiter. It wasn't some song she came up for a class assignment. Jessie made the song about her father, about how she would do whatever it took just for him to acknowledge her existence. Even after he damned her fate, she would still do whatever it took if it meant he would turn and see her just one time.

Fhear's silence confirmed Jamie's statement. Jessie's twin cleared his throat before speaking. "I assume you've already looked into our pasts. No doubt impressed by my sister's reputation. All those fights and no consequences after. One would think it was because the Beauvillier had a hand in it. Truth is, my father has a deep connection with the police. They already know what Jessie does is to protect me. And there's the fact that she's strong and protective of me. Her strength alone is a good enough reason not to make an enemy out of her."

"Why? Why would Elliot care if he doesn't care about his daughter?"

"Because everything she's done for me is because he told her to." Jamie kept going when Fhear didn't ask. "The one time in her life our father saw her was when he told her to protect me. After that, the two of them were always water and oil."

"But you still haven't told me why he treats her like this."

Jamie groaned the same way Fhear did when he had a headache and needed a break. "You have our files, right? All the way to our birth certificates?"

"Yeah. What about them?"

They were going into deep territory if Jamie was taking so long in answering. "Abrial du Bois, our mother, the first Beauvillier to take her husband's name. If you guys have everything, you know she died the day we were born. But what those files don't tell you was how she died." Another long pause. "We were seven weeks early and there were complications. Severe bleeding. A bit…a bit like when a woman of your race goes through when giving birth."

Fhear's body was overrun with the sense of dread. Comparing a human woman suffering the same way one of his own went through was never good. His own _mahmen_ went through the pain, almost dying herself. But for a human woman, the odds were already determined.

"Our mom was bleeding and they couldn't stop it. Then Jessie came. She was born first and that was all it took. They had to perform a C-section to save me." Jamie's voice shook as if he was on the verge of crying. "Our mother died giving birth to Jessie and they had to cut me out of her body. That's why my father cherishes me and despises her. He blames Jessie for the death of our mother."

Sliding to the ground, Fhear sat in silence all by himself.

Since the day she was born, Jessie's father blamed her for something she didn't mean to do. He casted his daughter aside, constantly reminding her why he hated her and would never love her. Saying she was done playing the game when in reality she would play it until she was in her grave, all in hopes her father would look at her without disgust but with a love only a father would give to his little girl.

Everything Elliot told her in front of him and the Brothers slammed that door shut, closing Jessie forever in the shadows without hope. Elliot washed his hands of what he always believed was a problem and made sure Jessie would never get the chance to reunite with her mother in the afterlife.

"I already know Jessie tried to kill herself," Jamie said in a low voice. "The line is still visible over my wrist."

"You know about Týr?"

"Yes, and I know my sister is still in pain. Her heart is in shambles and she needs someone close to her for help. Not family or friends but someone who she has complete trust in. I think you fit the bill."

"Listen—"

"No, you listen." Jamie's voice switched from docile to demanding. "We've always been surrounded by family our entire lives. My sister is alone for the very first time and the only person she has is you. Right now, her armor has been stripped away and she has nothing. You need to be there for her and help her out of the whole our father threw her into. I know who you are and I don't give a damn if you are the prince of the vampire race. Jessie doesn't just take random people to parties and have fun with strangers. Sure, she may take a guy to her place for the night and move on to the next but that's because she's been trying to fill in the hole our father created. Not once has my sister gone out of her way to meet someone who was outside our family and risk her life for them. You helped her in ways you can never imagine and will continue to do so if you really do care about her."

Fhear never met Jamie but got the feeling that this was the first time Jessie's brother ever told someone to shut up and listen. If Jessie was the one making this phone call and getting an earful from her twin, she would most likely be proud of Jamie for standing on his own two feet. Thing of the slight possibility had Fhear imagine how the past would've been different if Jamie spoke this way to their father so many years ago.

Perhaps then Jessie would've had a much brighter childhood.

"Listen, I can't change the mistake of joining the _Lessing Society_. It was my choice and I'm going to have to live with it for the rest of my life. What I can do right now is help my sister by talking to you. Convince her to either go back home or stay out of the fight if she decides to stay in Caldwell. The _lessers_ already know who she is and have orders do dispose of her if they ever see her. I don't think I can live with myself if I knew Jessie was killed because of me."

"Okay. Just—"

"I gotta go. Toss the phone. You won't be hearing from me again."

Fhear snapped the phone in half when Jamie hung up. Breaking the device into tiny pieces, he got up and walked to the edge of the garden, tossing bits of plastic into the forest. Wiping his hands clean and returning to his previous spot to sit down, Fhear rested his head on his knees and ran his fingers through his black hair.

Jessie wasn't going back home, he knew that for sure. May it be because Elliot du Bois was waiting there or that her brother was still in Caldwell but either way, Jessie was stuck in the city. If she wanted to stay, Fhear needed to make sure he held up his part of the conversation of keeping her away from Jamie. To know that the enemy knew who she was and was ready to put her down like some animal drew him insane. He would have to relay this to his friends and try to come up with a way to pass it to the Brothers. The males would be very interested in how he received this information.

Knowing that Elliot still drew breath was twice as worse as the _lessers_ on the lookout for Jessie. A father was supposed to love his children no matter what. A daughter was supposed to know her father was also her protector, someone who would be there no matter what. He wasn't supposed to speak a single command and ignore her for the rest of her life. If it wasn't for the Beauvillier family, Fhear didn't dare imagine what would've happen to Jessie.

Mind full of troubles, the prince rose from his seat and traveled back to Jessie's room. When he entered, he sucked in his breath when he found her sitting up. Legs tucked up to her chest and hair covering her face, it was difficult to decipher what she was thinking. She didn't stir when Fhear closed the door and stood next to her. Body still when he touched her shoulder, Jessie freed one arm from around her knees and touched something on the bed.

Fhear failed to realize three tarot cards at her feet.

They were the same cards he drew.

"Do you love me?"

Jessie raised her head, looking him straight in the eye. Blue and grey in a perfect mix, her luminous eyes shined so bright Fhear felt himself get sucked in. Not defiant like the first time they met or tempting every time they had sex, these eyes was of a lost soul taking a leap of faith for the first time.

Sitting behind her and wrapping his arm over her body, Fhear drew Jessie to his chest and rested his chin on top of her head. As if holding her was his answer, Jessie went back to staring at the cards. Her finger tapped at the first one Fhear drew called The Fool. "This is me," she whispered." She tapped The Lovers card. "This is us." Her body shook as her finger tapped Death. "This is what will happen to me because of us."

Fhear's body went tight.

"These are your cards." Jessie twisted around so she could see him. "I saw you pick them." She reached over to pick up a glass cup resting on the nightstand next to the bed, snapping her fingers back when the glass formed cracks under her touch. Fhear took her hand, tangling his fingers with hers. "Thrice these cards were played and thrice the glass breaks. Don't lie to me by saying it hasn't happened to you."

The memory was so long ago but very clear. On the night the wedding date had been announced, Fhear remembered the cup in his hand shattering and the image of a lily before it did. Noticing which hand was in his, Fhear rotated Jessie's hand over and thumbed the lily birthmark on her wrist.

"I saw this," he whispered to her.

Jessie gripped his arms, seeking some kind of shelter. "Gram was right," she spoke in a low voice, so low Fhear barely heard her. "I, the Fool, discovered a world something I could never imagine. Fate led to who was promised to me." Fhear felt something wet fall on his arm. "I don't want to die."

Fhear snatched the cards and threw them to the ground. Taking Jessie by the shoulders, he saw the tears she held back flow down her cheeks. "You're not going to die," he stated. "Those are just a bunch of stupid cards. They aren't real."

Shaking her head side to side, Jessie rested her head on his chest and clutched him tight. "They are," she said to his chest. "They've predicated everything that's come true. All that's left is the Death card. Why? Why does loving you mean my death?"

"Jessie!" Fhear tossed her back and jumped on top, pinning her under his body. "You yourself said it is the person's choice to believe in what the cards say. Just because three cards happened to be picked first doesn't mean it'll happen."

The prince went still when Jessie took his face in her hands. "Glass broke under our touch the same time in two different places. We both drew the same cards out of many. Our lives were bound to meet, a promise unbreakable. Now it is only a matter of time for it to end." Her took in a shuttering breath. "For it to end with you witnessing my death."

When Fhear couldn't come up with some reply to deny what she was saying, Jessie rolled over with the prince and wrapped his arms around her body. Sensing her need for comfort, Fhear surrendered to her need and pulled her close. They laid together in silence, not reacting when the shutters locked for the night.

Fhear remained awake when Jessie found comfort in her dreams. With both of her hands in his, Fhear covered the white gauze on her right wrist and rubbed the birthmark on the left. He refused to believe Fate was determined to bring them together only to rip Jessie from his grasp. This reminded him of tales of the past, how Dhusk's _mahmen_ could see the future and had the power to change most of them. Then there were futures set in stone, ones that couldn't be changed no matter what. Fhear heard those stories as well, Gabrielle's former ability being proof that these stupid cards might be wrong.

His hold over Jessie grew tighter, the male in him ready to protect his mate against anything. Cards were different than seeing the future. Hell, glass breaking wasn't strong enough proof for him to believe in. Fhear would somehow come up with a way for Jessie to see that the cards were wrong and that she wasn't going to die because of them.

Fhear wasn't going to lose the woman he loved because Fate promised it.

* * *

Jamie leaned back in his chair, blankly staring at his computer screen. Rows of ones and zeroes streamed by, a foreign language to the common person. His mind already deciphered what the messages were, leaving the program nothing but a nuisance.

Sun streamed in through the crappy shade, casting threads of light in his dark room. The door to his back was cracked open, a sign that he had a visitor not long ago. A _lesser_ popped in after his secret conversation, reminding him the Fore- _lesser_ wanted the money they received from their sponsors wired to the accounts as soon as possible. Now that Jamie was finally alone, he turned off his computer for the first time.

Raking his hand through white hair instead of brown, he leaned down and unlocked a drawer at the bottom of the desk, revealing a sealed folder. Placing it on the desk and sighing, Jamie unwrapped the cord from its loop and reached inside. His fingers curled around three rough edges as he removed the contents.

Before he left New Awlins, Jamie went to a fortune teller. The woman wasn't the kind who performed for tourists but the one of the few who lived in the bayou. There was a rule in the Beauvillier family and it was to never read a family member's future. Jamie knew Grams wouldn't no matter how much he begged. Hours before his plane to Massachusetts departed, he drove miles from the city and sought his future.

He kept the cards ever since.

On the left was The Hermit, an old man shrouded in a gray cloak, holding a staff in one hand and a lantern in the other. Jamie was always seeking knowledge, trapping himself in his own mind just to seek the answer. It was his thirst for more that resulted in him gaining a full scholarship to MIT.

In the middle was The Tower, a mighty tower struck with lightening and two people falling from the bottom windows, it's foundation shaking from the attack. A card for either calamity or new beginnings, it was sadly the former. The card already came true, his actions leading to calamity. His sister was in town and therefore brought his father, resulting in the man destroying Jessie in ways no one could understand. It was only a matter of time until Jessie paid dearly for the knowledge Jamie searched for and was trapped because of it.

His eyes stared straight at the Judgment card. An angel blew its trumpet over the humans, their arms held up high and wide, awaiting the angel's decision. A card for one to answer for their actions, Jamie prayed the card had nothing to do with the fact of Týr and their ability. Those who knew the true story of La Chanson de Lily knew what happened to Nithard and Notker. To save his brother who had died only a handful of seconds, Nithard used his gift and took Notker's pain, which was his death.

The question Jamie always avoided was coming after him. Judgment would come and it may not affect him but someone else. Knowing that their ancestor was brought back from death from the sacrifice his older brother made for him played heavily on his mind. Jessie was always taking the punches for him since they were kids. Thinking of her taking a hit that could end her had him despising the card.

Jessie needed to stay out of the war between vampires and _lessers_. In not, the destruction of The Tower created by The Hermit would force Fate to bring Judgment down on those. Fate would punish Jamie for his action on him or the person who was always there for him.


	35. Chapter 35

_Hi! I know it's been a while since I last updated. This semester has kept me pretty busy and it's left me little room to write. Now with winter break around the corner, I figured I should make it up to you guys and not have you wait for another month and a half for the story to continue. And by that, I mean I FINISHED! I sat down and completed the last chapters for Lover Promised over Thanksgiving Break! Cha! Now I can relax and enjoy myself until spring semester starts. And let me tell you, I've been DYING to write the next installment for my BDB stories. Hope you guys have a great break and can't wait to see you soon._

* * *

Chapter Thirty Five

Fhear at on the edge of the roof, one foot dangling over the edge and him watching the setting sun. Sitting next to him was Jessie, pinching the base of her nose as she conversed in French on her phone. The device went off while they slept and she was still going at it in her second language. All the prince could do was sit by her side and listen as she argued with her family.

It didn't take a genius to know the conversation had to do with her father. No doubt the Beauvilliers were curious as to why the man returned without one of his children. Even though Fhear had no clue what Jessie was saying, he could hear the angry voice of an elderly woman every now and then. There were a couple of times when Jessie had to hold her phone at bay when more than one voice joined in.

By the time she hung up on the caller was the same time the sun vanished behind the mountains. Stars beginning to take their places in the sky, Fhear could see the outline of the moon take form far in the distance. Glancing over, he watched as Jessie placed the phone beside her and laid down. The small nap they took didn't do much for her since the prince could see the circles under her eyes in the poor lighting.

"How's the family?"

Jessie firmly rubbed her eyes. "Angry," she said to the night sky." Fhear kept silent since he knew there was more to follow. "I had to explain to my grandmother how Elliot arrived in New Awlins without his children."

"Explain how?"

She lifted her hands, making eye contact with him. "That the people I've been bunking with have special abilities and manipulated Elliot's memory so he could leave." There was another pause. "She asked if any of you had the ability to make his body disappear."

Fhear gave a gentle laugh and silently prayed V decided to ignore the call. The male didn't need Jessie's grandmother encouraging him in killing Elliot du Bois and disposing of the body.

"So, you didn't tell her that we were actually vampires?"

"Why would I?" Pushing herself back up and drawing her legs to her chest, Jessie rested her chin on her knees and sighed. "Believe it or not, Grams wouldn't care if I told her or not. Remember my reaction when you told me? Tell any Beauvillier and their reaction will be the same. 'You're a vampire? Okay. Do you want a beignet with powdered sugar or sprinkles of blood?'" Jessie frowned as Fhear laughed. "Don't believe me? How about you hit redial and tell Grams?"

"I think I'll pass." The prince drew his leg back and crawled behind Jessie, pulling her against his chest. Her body relaxed once his arms was around her body. "I can only what would happen if the Brotherhood met the Beauvilliers. It's not every day where we meet a bunch of humans who can easily accept our existence."

Jessie grunted. Fhear already knew she was thinking of another hundred ways to kill Týr thanks to him.

Down below, they could hear the mansion come to live. Soon headlight would appear at the front gates, indicating those of Mehrcy's family who couldn't dematerialize had arrived. The estate was a good distance away from the Brotherhood so the option for the male and his family to move back into the mansion was still on the table.

"I still can't get over how quiet it is here."

Fhear rested his head between Jessie's shoulder and head, the prince inhaling her scent. "Do you miss it? Your city?"

She leaned back, using the prince for support. "All the time. New Awlins is my home."

There was something hidden in her words when she didn't continue and something inside Fhear knew what she really meant. With her in his hold, the prince laid flat on his back with Jessie on top of him, the both of them watching the moon finally break free from the darkness to join the stars.

Reaching for her left hand and lifting it up, Fhear stared at the obvious lily birthmark. If Sam never told them what the mark really meant, the prince would've thought it was interesting how Jessie had been born with a flower on her wrist. Now that he knew, he couldn't help but see it as some sort of brand, a way for the world to know she came from bloodline which was tampered with because of a god was bored. Fhear also knew the birthmark was proof of a long and powerful family, a family which still existed and waited for Jessie's return miles away from here.

"You know, if you ever wanted to come back to Caldwell, you're more than welcome to."

Jessie shifted to look at Fhear, her hand still in his grasp. "What are you talking about?"

The prince stared as he continued to stare at the lily. "I don't speak French, but I know you really miss your home. It seems wrong for us to keep you away from it. I won't be upset when you find Jamie and leave. Just wanted to know you'll always have a place to crash at if you ever decide to visit."

Snapping her hand out of his, Jessie flipped over and straddled the prince. The move wasn't sexual or anything. Jessie just needed to sit up and this was the position which allowed it. "What you say is true," she said to him. "I will be in the seat next to Jamie as we fly back to New Awlins." She then bent down, propping herself up with her elbows so her face was only inches from his. "Can I let you in on a little secret? It has to do when I get home."

Fhear nodded, curling his fingers in her brown and indigo hair.

"I'm putting my apartment on the market and packing my things." Jessie pressed her forehead against Fhear's when he tried to sit up. "Future be damned. I've decided I'm going to live so I can move here. It'll be in the city, of course, but it'll be here."

"Your family?"

"I can always visit them. Besides, I think it's time I left the nest."

The prince caressed her cheek. "That's not what I meant," he said to her.

A moment passed and Jessie's gaze grew dark. "No doubt Grams is going to fight Elliot on the situation." She closed her eyes, leaning into Fhear's touch. "I think I can accept the fact I will never be buried with my mother. If Grams sees I'm fine with it, she might let it go." Greyish blue eyes met his dark green stare. "I think my mom would understand my decision."

Placing his other hand on the side of her face, Fhear inched up and kissed Jessie. "Are you sure?" he asked when he pulled back.

The prince held his breath when Jessie flipped her hair over to the side, exposing her throat before kissing him again. Fhear's hand traveled past her cheek down to her neck, his fingers coiling over her pulse. It felt like ages with his mouth being so close to her neck that he was shocked when the primitive part stirred inside him once more.

"Oui."

Fhear struck.

Tasting Jessie's blood in his mouth, his mind managed to stay clear long enough to absorb her answer. She was willing to give up the world she'd known since birth so she could be in his life. The thought of her being by his side was glorious until two complications clouded his thoughts. One was the fact that she was human. No matter what, Jessie's life was extremely short compared to his, a terrible reminder that she would leave this world before he was ready.

His engagement to Claudya was the ultimate obstacle.

Releasing her from his hold and licking the wounds shut, the prince couldn't think of any way to get around his betrothed. As the prince of his nation, he was expected to mate one of his kind and become the next king. Being born quarter human had been difficult for the _princeps_ and _glymera_ to accept. If he were to take a human to be his mate, the action would give them the very reason to turn on him and his father.

The only option for them was if they were friends by name. Surely the Brothers and his father wouldn't object to the fact. Claudya like Jessie so that was another person in her corner to support the idea. Having Jessie remain in their world simply because she was friends with the prince wouldn't be of any harm.

Fhear couldn't make himself accept Jessie as a friend.

As if reading his mind, she curled in his arms and rubbed her head next to his. "We can figure it out as we go on," she said. "All I want to do is find Jamie and get home so I can start packing."

She made it sound so easy. Then again, everything Jessie said once she made up her mind always seemed to come true with such ease. As for the future in which she was imagining, Fhear knew it would be a very difficult path to pave.

This was the first time the prince ever felt afraid.

* * *

"I know Jamie's location."

Four pair of eyes locked onto Hhavoc after the male spoke. The extra gazes didn't seem to faze him considering he was staring at nothing in particular. Tapping his fingers over the table in a steady rhythm, two dark gold orbs swerved up to the ceiling of the study before shifting to the bookshelf in hopes of finding something entertaining.

With the Brothers patrolling the streets for the night, close to nothing happened for those in the mansion. Fhear and Jessie had remained on the roof while Dhusk played a game of pool with Ahgony. No one in their small circle knew what Hhavoc was doing with his spare time until he called for them. Once they all gathered in the study like the good old days with the addition of Jessie, the male delivered the news they had been waiting for so long.

Snapping back into reality, Fhear glanced over at Jessie. The human appeared ready to jump out of her skin and start hunting for her twin. He caught the extra shine in her eyes, hinting her urgency to make Caldwell her permanent home stronger than before. Fhear had yet to bring up her declaration to the others and right now wasn't the best place to drop the bomb.

"They have him in a steel factory east of the city," Hhavoc said with a narrow gaze, most likely hearing the world around him. "It's heavily guarded, especially near your brother." He closed his eyes and tilted his head, listening with his hearing heightened. "There's something mixed with the _lessers_. I can't give you an exact answer, only that a fair portion doesn't sound like the enemy."

"If what Hhavoc's saying is true, we're more than likely outnumbered," stated Ahgony.

Dhusk leaned back in his chair, propping himself with his feet up against the table. "We can do what our uncle used to do," he suggested with a pointed look at his cousin. "You know, an in-and-out scenario. Our target is Jamie and nothing else. How good is your hearing, cuz?"

Hhavoc shrugged his shoulders.

"I'll take that as good." Dhusk turned his attention to Fhear. "We can use Hhavoc's ability to guide us through the factory. Go in light and fast. By the time the enemy finds out, Jamie's already heading south."

Jessie cleared her throat, indicating one flaw in their plan. "I don't think they'll fall for the trunk a second time," she grunted.

No one denied the claim. The males could easily sneak out of the mansion and materialize at the factory, retrieve Jamie with Hhavoc in the lead, and send Jessie's twin home before the sun rose. And given how morning was only a few hours away, they would need to do this fast.

Hhavoc's head perked up as if he heard something and chuckled. The males gawked at the motion, knowing full well Hhavoc didn't chuckle.

Picking up a book resting near him, Hhavoc chucked it over at the door. Seconds later, Frédérique slid in and gently closed the door. The female watched the group with wide eyes and tilted her head so far to the left it almost touched her shoulder. She flicked her head over to the right in the same manor, her eyes giving no secrets of her thoughts.

"I can only assume you have an idea," Hhavoc said to his aunt.

Frédérique surveyed the group, remaining cryptic as ever.

"I don't know what you're talking about," the female said soothing voice. She began to twirl a strand of hair around her finger. "I forgot something at the estate. I was just wondering if Hhavoc would give me a lift over."

When the golden pair of eyes floated over the others, it clicked in their minds and Fhear was already giving his friends orders. With the plan put in motion and time not on their side, they dispersed to gather what they needed. Fhear had stashed the hira shurikens in his room so he easily retrieved them before joining the others in the armory. Frédérique sat on a table in the back to keep an eye on the door as they loaded up.

Before arming himself, Fhear took a SIG Sauer P226 and held it in front of Jessie. She took a second to look down at the weapon before snatching it and checking to see if the barrel was empty. Fhear quickly strapped a gun holster to her leg, watching her slide the gun in with such ease.

Dhusk started passing out bullet proof vests for them to put on since they were going in with low numbers. With his on in seconds, Fhear helped Jessie in hers while she slid a belt on and clipped mag holsters on both sides. Once Jessie was armed to the teeth, he checked the gun strapped to his leg and double checked the hira shurikens wrapped around his waist. As he brought his gaze up, he took in Ahgony and the cousins who were ready to follow him on this mission.

It was finally time to get Jamie.


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter Thirty Six

Heavily guarded was an understatement.

Taking position in a building at the outer perimeter of the factory, Fhear kept to the edge of the window as he took in their situation. There was a good distance between them and the enemy and he could still smell the stench of _lessers_ through the cracks. With the air full of their scent, no doubt the factory was one of their bases.

At least ten _lessers_ were positioned on the roof while other rotated in guarding the front. Fhear also spotted the enemy taking shifts in watching the windows facing every direction. There were even some in parked cars between the buildings surrounding their base. It was Hhavoc who led them to the closed building with little problem. Now they waited for their friend to find them a safe way inside.

Standing opposite to the prince was Jessie. Although her human eyes lacked the eyesight like theirs, her gaze darted in every direction the enemy moved, memorizing their position in her own way. Dhusk and Ahgony watched through their own window in hopes of finding an opening while Hhavoc sat in the center of the room with his eyes closed. Every now and then, the male ticked his head left or right and snarled as if hearing something he didn't like. They couldn't move until he found them a path and they needed to hurry.

Taking his eyes off the moving bodies and focusing on Jessie, Fhear noticed how calm she was. Surely the tension was killing her inside but she refused to let it show on the surface. Gun in her hand without shaking and eyes trained on the enemy with no flicker of hesitation, Jessie was a storm waiting to be released on those who deserved her wrath. Fhear would just have to watch her back in case she forgot to check her surroundings.

They all jumped when Hhavoc stood. The male strolled right up to the window Fhear and Jessie were sharing, standing right in the middle for the world to see. "The Brotherhood are on their way," he informed their group. "Victoria and Ahnger are ahead of them, leading the others based on Fhear's scent."

"Guess Frédérique got caught," commented Dhusk.

Once Frédérique helped them get out of the mansion with Jessie in tow, they waited as Hhavoc helped sneak her back over the wall. The female had promised not to rat them out since it was her who suggested the idea so someone must've noticed her sudden return with nothing in hand. And given the fact that two of their four best trackers were using their curses in full form, it was only a matter of time before they caught the prince's scent.

Even though the news sounded terrible, Hhavoc gave one of his rare smirks and pointed to the front door. "The guards behind the door are frustrated. I think they're waiting for their shift to end. Same for those guarding the outside. Those watching above have shifted position, taking point at opposite ends. Once they rotate, we go in."

"And the Brothers?"

Hhavoc turned his finger in an opposite direction. "They'll be here in five minutes or less. No doubt the enemy will see them. That'll give us extra coverage to get Jamie out." The male began to head for the door. "We need to go. This is about to go down."

With Dhusk following his cousin and Ahgony right behind, Fhear waved his hand to the front and Jessie took her position with him covering her back. They had discussed the formation before Hhavoc began his listening. Given how Jessie was the weakest link in their group, she was to stay second to last if they needed to move in a single line or stay in the center if they needed to spread out. The human didn't object, acknowledging her weakness for the situation. She easily fell in line as Hhavoc led them outside and down the alley.

Fhear tapped her shoulder which she passed on to Ahgony. The male followed with the tapping until Hhavoc received the message that their back was secure. Bringing his hand up to the side of his face, the male held them in spot for twenty seconds before waving down. Keeping low and silent, the group kept to the shadows as they circled past the vehicles and watchers in the upper windows. And just like the male predicted, the front _lessers_ left their post in preparation for rotation.

They all stopped and went down, Fhear guiding Jessie with his hand on the back of her neck. Forms shifted around as the enemy began to change formation. Once their only opening became visible, their line advanced until they were up against the wall, waiting for Hhavoc to move. The male waved for Dhusk. His cousin nodded and quickly rolled past the opening, the two waiting for the _lessers_ to walk out. Right when the enemy stepped into the open, the cousins grabbed their targets and snapped their necks. Ahgony darted past them and jumped inside the factory, going to his knees and taking out those taking the shift. Silent whooshes came from his silenced weapon, knocking the _lessers_ to the ground from the shots to the head.

Dhusk charged in, watching Ahgony's left as the male checked his right. Hhavoc stepped between the two, tapping them both to let them know they were in the clear. With the male taking the lead once again, Jessie grabbed Fhear with her free hand as she led him with the group as he walked backwards, watching the ground and upper levels. The prince felt her finger press against his back, telling him to stop. He followed her command while keeping track of everything in front of him. She tapped her finger and curled it back into her fist so she could pull him along with the others.

Fhear had to slow his pace a bit as he continued his walk up a flight of stair, his heart beating like crazy from the thought of tripping. None of that happened as he made it safely on the second floor with the third floor empty for the time being. Jessie jerked the prince to the right, him following her into a tiny room with the males on the other end. They all held their breaths as the door held ajar revealed four _lessers_ march pass them. Hhavoc's hand was up in the halt position, his eyes closed as he listened. His hand then formed a fist and knocked against his chest, informing Fhear that the Brotherhood was on location.

Waiting for the coast to clear, they resumed position with the prince anxious to get this over with. It was only a matter of seconds before the _lessers_ found the bodies and alerted everyone. Then they would have to deal with the Brothers storming the fort and catching them in the middle.

Finally, when seconds felt like hours while scouring the second floor, Hhavoc instructed Dhusk to take one side of a door which happened to be in the deepest part of the factory. With two males on each side and Ahgony taking front to watch the railing, Fhear stepped in front of the door with Jessie behind him. He gave the knob a gentle twist and tapped it open, watching it swing wide.

Sitting in a dark room with a bright computer screen was Jamie.

The first thing Fhear noticed was the security feed on the giant screen. Swerving around and peeking past the door, the prince located the tiny camera watching them from its hidden spot. Turning back while waving his hand, he watched himself wave back at the camera. It paused in mid-wave and Jamie spun around in his chair.

"What are you doing here?"

Given how they were the only ones in the room, Fhear stepped aside so Jessie could approach her twin. Jamie stayed put, watching as Jessie approached him. Pale eyes remained unmoved when his sister held out her hand in front of him. "Come on," she ordered. "We're getting out of this place."

When Jamie didn't take her hand, Jessie snatched his arm and jerked him up to his feet. Releasing her brother against the table, she waited for him to catch himself from falling over. She then held out her hand a second time for him to take. Jamie ignored her gesture and looked over at Fhear. "Get your team out of here. I can wipe the feed to cover your tracks."

Understanding Jamie's worry for his sister being in the enemy's territory, Fhear reluctantly shook his head. "We're not leaving without you."

Jamie frowned as he slapped his sister's hand away. "I'm not playing, Jessie. Get out while you can."

She grabbed him by the shirt. Both twins looked one another in the eyes, reflecting each other as if looking into a mirror minus the obvious differences.

"Vous êtes aller maison, frère. Je suis venir arrière."

 _You're going home, brother. I'm coming back._

It was Jamie who broke their stare. In doing so, Jessie brought her hand between them for a third time. There was complete determination as she looked at her twin.

"Cette ville est ma maison maintenant. Ci est mon choix."

 _This city is my home now. This is my choice._

Even though Fhear had no clue what Jessie was saying, Jamie obviously did because his eyes widened from astonishment. He choked on what sounded like a laugh and hugged his sister. Pulling back and noticing the waiting hand, he took it in his and squeezed.

"D'accord, ma soeur. Laissons-nous partir. J'ai l'impression que vous voudrez revenir à votre nouvelle maison dès que possible."

 _All right, sister. Let us leave. I feel that you will want to return to your new home as soon as possible._

"Don't know what you two are talking about, but we need to go now."

Stepping away from his sister, Jamie twisted back to the computer. Fhear was about grab him and start running when he realized Jamie was deleting everything on the machine. Once the screen came up clean, the prince recognized the command Jamie entered was a virus and watched as it was activated. "This will kill everything until the backup team catches on," he told the two. With the screen now flashing red, Fhear was ready to bail but growled as the brother unlocked a drawer at the bottom of his desk. Slipping whatever was inside in his jacket and nodding at the prince, he led the twins outside where the males were waiting.

An explosion went off at the front of the factory.

Shaking the entire building, everyone grabbed onto something to steady themselves when a second explosion went off. Orders were thrown in the air and all Fhear could hear around them were heavy footsteps coming from every direction. Hhavoc recovered first and darted in front of his friend when a _lesser_ came running down the stairs, shooting it before it could raise its weapon.

The male cursed when bullets began to spray them from above. Having nothing but steel mesh protecting them, Hhavoc created a path for them as Dhusk and Ahgony returned fire to the upper floor. Knowing their plan went up in flames, Fhear abandoned his position and sped past Jessie who was protecting her brother and met Hhavoc in front. The male shouted how many _lessers_ were about to make the corner and instructed Fhear where to attack from.

Fhear broke off from the group and used the railing to launch himself in the air. Twisting around and facing the third floor, the prince landed on the opposite walkway with his hands removing eight hira shurikens. Once the enemy was in the line of fire, he threw his weapons, listening as their sharp edges tore through the air. Six bodies fell backwards, the last two leaning forward and falling what seemed thirty feet. Now in charge of protecting his friends from this end, Fhear removed his weapons with lightning speed and threw them with such precision even though the factory shook from the onslaught of explosions.

Spinning on the balls of his feet and fingers releasing hira shuriken after one another, the prince kept up with the others as Hhavoc led and the other two males protected the twins. When an explosion erupted nearby, Fhear caught Hhavoc wave at him to stop and did as his friend ordered when a giant black wolf with white tattoos came crashing down on a _lesser_. Ripping its head from its body and tossing the part in the air, gold eyes flipped over to Fhear with fury.

A blast of wind tore through the building, knocking the enemy from the third floor and causing a dust storm in the close quarters. Not protecting his eyes in time, Fhear got a load full of dust in his eyes that he could hardly see. The wolf barked and two figures approached behind, one with glowing red tattoos and diamond pale eyes. A section of wind around the four parted, revealing a highly-pissed Sam and Vishous.

"Don't even—"

Ahnger snarled, breaking Fhear in midsentence.

Something hard fell behind the prince.

With the wind protecting them, Fhear turned around and found a body with a bullet hole penetrating its left eye. Across the drop stood Jessie with Jamie by her side, the gun the prince gave her aimed where the body would've stood. Arm steady like it was before the battle, it was Jessie's frightened eyes which spoke volumes about the enemy who tried to sneak up on Fhear from behind.

The body was a vampire.

* * *

After the tornado blinded them, all Jessie could hear was Hhavoc order her to aim and shot in Fhear location. Being the one to receive the orders, the only thing she had to go on was faith so she took aim and fired. As if by magic, the wind splintered from the bullet's path and allowed it to hit its target. Jessie figured the enemy was a _lesser_ so she was ready to move on when she saw what she really hit.

Hhavoc mentioned earlier how something sounded strange about the hideout. Now she, along with those nearby to see, knew exactly what the male meant.

A vampire nearly killed Fhear.

"Get down!"

Jamie jumped on top of his sister, them two hitting the deck when where they had been standing burst in flames and was no more. Nails and cement rained down on the two until they deemed it worthy to sit up. Jessie kept her mouth from hanging open when she caught sight of the gaping hole between them and the others.

Hearing the pounding feet coming at them, Jessie hopped up and drew her gun when it wasn't _lessers_ who blocked her path. Hesitating for a second, it was a black dagger which saved her from shooting the row of vampires in front of her. Golden seals ripped out of the dagger and destroyed the path, sending the rogue males falling to their death in the gale winds.

Taking this moment to look, Jessie could see Fhear and those with him who began to retreat to the front of the factory. Her attention was drawn back when Jamie called to her and pointed at a slim black wolf who crawled up the hole blocking their path. Familiar blue eyes stared at the twins before tossing its head over to the stairs looming over them.

"Go!" shouted Hhavoc. "She'll lead you to the others!"

John, Blaylock, Qhuinn, and Z were already leading Hhavoc and the other males in the same location Fhear was being herded to. Glancing back at Victoria, Jessie had no choice but to take Jamie's hand and lead him up with the wolf tailing behind them. Once they reached the top, Victoria leapt over the twins and charged straight at a group of males who were hiding behind a blockade. The wolf ripped through the group and continued the carnage, leaving a safe path for Jessie and Jamie.

The explosions were quickly explained when daggers and knives went soaring in the air, releasing gold and blue seals to wreak havoc on the enemy. Jessie caught a glimpse of blond hair throwing the knives, blue seals latching off her arms and attaching themselves to the knives she threw. One dagger from Hhavoc's twin came extremely close to them, going off and knocking shards of glass from the windows. As the twins covered themselves, a _lesser_ and male jumped out from a room and came running straight at the two. Jessie's body didn't allow her to hesitate a second time. Brining her arm up and pushing Jamie behind, she pulled the trigger seven times with little aim, watching as the _lesser_ went down and the male into hiding. Her new opponent didn't have a chance to return the challenge because Mehrcy materialized and impaled the male with both his sword and clawed hand. Ripping the body to shreds in one swoop, the Brother waved for the two to continue down the path.

As they ran, Jessie couldn't help but feel the distance between her and Fhear grow by the second. What kept her from turning back was the fact that they would meet each other at the end of this. Then she would be back in a few days to start a new life and figure a way to keep what she and Fhear had intact. It was this dream of her that kept her going.

Reaching the end of the walkway, the dusty wind cracked so they had a clear view on where they were going. Even from this height, Jessie could see the floor beneath them was empty and that Ehnvy and Phride was rushing to the stairs at the floor ground. The two males didn't turn back when two _lessers_ went sailing and a dragon chasing after them.

Jessie was knocked off her feet as were the others when a wave of fire ruptured under the steel walkway, sending everyone flying to the ground. Victoria rolled over and bared her teeth, facing the direction where the attack came from. Jessie shouted a curse when she saw two males approach the second floor opposite of them an aim with two strange black guns. Sure enough, they weren't guns but grenade launchers by the soft found and the hell fire exploding around them.

Keeping Jamie near her as they rolled out of the debris, the twins kept low as the black wolf leapt in the air and landed on its feet near the males, chasing after them even though a bunch of grenades were shot at her. Brother and sister crawled to the edge of the walkway and glanced down at the whirlwind. Apparently, the males weren't the only ones with special toys because Jessie could hear guns that didn't sound like they belonged to the Brotherhood go off. This time the explosions were coming from the enemy instead of weapons with seals, pushing the vampires at bay.

"Jamie," Jessie shouted over the noise.

"Sponsors," he shouted back.

Jessie knew about the funneled money. After spending so much time at the mansion, she heard stuff behind closed doors. She just didn't anticipate the people working in the dark against Wrath and his son to have so much money.

Now they had vampires working with the enemy.

Mehrcy grabbed the twins and didn't let go as they grew closer to the stairs leading to their freedom. The brothers down below made it to the second floor and were on the verge of meeting them in the middle when something tipped Jessie off. Past the blaring wind and the sound of war going on around her, a cold shiver snaked up her spine that she tore out of Mehrcy's grasp just for a second.

As the male and her brother began to turn back to see what was keeping her, the sensation continued to grow until her whole body was shaking. Whatever this dread was made her want to look at her brother and she gave into the need. Looking past the pale skin and eyes and white hair, Jamie still looked like the brother she bid farewell to school six years ago. Even now in this dire situation, she could see the identical dark chestnut hair and bluish grey eyes all the Beauvilliers had.

The dark feeling tugged Jessie's chest, guiding her to the right where the walkway led to a kick-in doorway. No one was in there, the room appearing barren to the world around them. Jessie was prepared to push the feeling off as paranoia when the feeling coiled in her chest, nearly chocking her on her feet.

With Jamie beginning to reach out for his sister, that was when the empty room was no longer empty. Seeing the weapon aimed straight at them, the pain released Jessie long enough to shove Jamie with all her might, knocking him into Mehrcy and sending them tumbling to the second floor. Before Jessie's feet could touch the ground, she looked back as the _lesser_ loaded a round in a rocket launcher and gave the male the thumbs up.

Losing the ground behind her or the sense of freefalling thirty feet in the air barely registered in Jessie's mind. The only thing she felt was the rocket hitting her and destroying everything near her. By the time her body could react, pain no longer existed and neither did sound. Jessie could no longer feel her battered body or the rushing wind in her ear.

Her heart gave long before her body hit the ground.

* * *

Fhear was this close in getting out when he heard the launcher go off. Unlike the cover Adam provided for the team, a black cloud engulfed on area with fire and a portion of the third floor propelled in the air. Then something much larger than a chunk of steel soared out into the open.

It was Dhusk and Hhavoc who held Fhear back when he saw Jessie falling to her death.

He watched as not even the wind Adam controlled could catch her. All Fhear could do was scream out her name. His voice went mute when the freefall ended with Jessie landing on a row of stacked I-beams. Soon all Fhear could hear was the solid echo of steel carry Jessie's weight through the entire factory. Half her body on top and the other dangling over the edge, Fhear could see her scarred face and blank eyes.

Jessie was already dead before the impact.

The prince took two hira shurikens and stabbed the cousins in the legs to break free. His freedom wasn't long lived. Strong arms secured his body and began to drag him further from Jessie. He tried reaching for his weapons only to feel more hands remove them from his body. Soon, the only thing Fhear could do was release a bloodcurdling scream as he was dragged away from Jessie.

As everyone began to clear out, the last to join the Brothers was Mehrcy and his group. However, as they went behind Adam and Sam, it wasn't just one Beauvillier missing but two. The fact must've escaped their mind because Adam created another windstorm until it took the form of a tornado. Sam placed his hands on the floor and unleashed a great seal, the designs creating sparks and setting the tornado on fire.

It was in the fire that Fhear caught sight of Jamie.

While the _lessers_ and other vampires began to clear out, Jamie stood in front of his sister's body. He placed a hand over her eyes and bent his head, appearing like he was praying. Fhear tried to get the two males to stop their creation but they couldn't hear him nor did they see Jamie. All they were focused on was the burning tornado destroying everything in its path.

Backing out of the factory, Adam continued to focus on the wind aspect while Bayne and Esther joined in on the process. Hhavoc was by Fhear side, keeping an eye on the prince who continued to struggle. With blue and gold seals feeding the destruction, the factory began to fall apart in the burning winds. The roof was then ripped off and the tornado doubled in its size, reaching for whatever was left inside.

Fhear finally gave up in his struggle as he watched the building come tumbling down. Having lost all strength in his body, it was the males who hold him that kept him on his feet. The prince could only stare at the destruction of the factory, half of the enemy perishing underneath its weight while the rest escaped.

There was no sight of Jamie.


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter Thirty Seven

It was five thirty in the morning when the house phone started ringing. Reaching for lamp and tugging the cord, Damiane picked up the phone and read the caller ID. She didn't recognize the number except for the area code. It was the same code Jessie would call her family with. Damiane took the call before it could end.

"Jessie, dear? Is everything alright?"

Her granddaughter never called before sun up. Most of the time she was in bed considering her night schedule. The latest she would contact anyone would be past the afternoon unless it was a family member calling for her. Something must've happened if Jessie decided to call her grandmother before the sun even rose in New Awlins.

When all Damiane could hear was deep breathing, her old heart seized from a sense of foreboding. There was a chocked sob and sniffling on the other end. Hearing nothing but someone trying hard not to cry brought back old memories Damiane thought she would forget. The last time she heard anyone react to this was when Adelais found out her twin sister was dying. Then it was Abrial's turn when it was Adelais who died instead of her.

"Grams."

Damiane clutched herself when she heard Jamie instead of Jessie.

"Grams," he sobbed. "I messed up. I fucking messed up."

Standing in the doorway was Danielle. Damiane's twin sister held her robe close to her body in a tight grip, suspecting the early call wasn't a friendly one. As for Damiane, she noticed how her hands were shaking. She willed her body to obey and the shaking ceased just as fast as they began.

"Jamie, what's wrong."

Her grandson inhaled, his lungs drawing in a gallon of air. "It happened so fast. I didn't see them and…and…and she pushed me. God, Grams, she pushed me. Why didn't I see them? Why couldn't it have been me?"

It felt like Damiane was reliving the past.

"Is Jessie dead?"

This time Jamie didn't try to keep it back. His bawling was all Damiane needed to know her granddaughter was no longer with them. Jamie hiccupped some words which sounded like apologies while Danielle drew her sister in her arms. They sat in the old room for what seemed like hours when Jamie finally calmed down.

"I need the words."

It had been thirty years since she last heard the request and she had always hoped it would be the last.

"Jamie, just come—"

"Nithard took Notker's pain seconds after his death," Jamie spoke in a calm voice. "Nithard brought his brother from death, even if it was only a few seconds. Jessie…Grams, she's been dead for almost an hour. I need to take her pain. Please, I need the words."

"But that would mean…" Damiane didn't have the heart to finish her sentence.

"This fate was promised to me, Grams. Now let me fix it. Let me take her pain away."

Danielle squeezed her twin's shoulder in a comforting way. They both just lost one grandchild and was about to lose another one to save the former. Taking physical pain away was one thing. Trading one's life for the other was never easy, no matter the century a Beauvillier lived in.

It was every generations' choice to use their gift and Jamie had chosen.

* * *

The sun was would rise in thirty minutes and they had yet to find Jamie. No one so much as mentioned Jessie in fear for their prince. Ever since the Brothers returned to the mansion, Fhear hadn't spoken a word. He just sat in a chair he was placed in and stayed there well after the others had been checked clear.

Again and again, he could see Jessie's body falling and there was nothing he could do. She had risked so much and had died for nothing. Her dream of calling Caldwell her home would never come true. Everything for the future ended with her last breath.

Fhear barely registered the gentle hand on his shoulder or his _mahmen_ whispering his name. His vision began to fade in and out when Beth got down to her knees to look at her son's face. It was like his senses wanted to cut him off from the world. The blurred version of his _mahmen_ left his line of sight. Assuming he was now alone once more, Fhear's mind continued to replay Jessie's death.

Someone pulled up a chair across from Fhear, the dull sound of them taking a seat barely heard. Whoever it was didn't speak our touch the prince as a sign of comfort. The person just sat there, neither speaking or reaching out. They sat together in silence for so long that Fhear soon forgot someone was in front of him.

The world suddenly spun when the person grabbed Fhear from the back of his head and drew him to their shoulder. Sight and hearing snapping back to attention, Fhear was momentarily stunned until he realized the person who had drawn him into their embrace was his father. Without his seeing dog or anyone by his side, it was just Wrath in the infirmary with his son. Fhear also noticed how his father wasn't wearing his shades, his blind green eyes staring at the wall across from them.

As his father held him close, the numbness in Fhear slowly faded, leaving his broken body to fend for itself. Once every sense was returned to him, the prince felt the tear slide down his face and soak Wrath's shirt. He didn't make a sound as he wept for Jessie, taking hold of his father when his body began to shake.

"I thought she was joking," whispered Wrath. His arm holding his son tightened. "She said she would die if she loved you."

Fhear could see the tarot cards float across his mind. They, who had been The Fool, found one another, thus The Lovers came true. It was just that The Death card was always meant for Jessie and for him to witness. In the end, the cards they drew came true.

"She was going to come back," the prince found himself saying. "Once they were back home, she was going to move to Caldwell. Live in the city. Stay with us. Be a part of our lives."

"Fhear—"

"She wanted to stay by my side. We were going to work it out. Perhaps be friends and leave it like that. She understood my duty and accepted it. She accepted it if it meant she could stay." Fhear reached over and pulled his father's hand back, drawing away from the male. He wiped his eyes even though Wrath could see him. "To find her brother and to get back here once it was over, that's why she went with us. She just wanted to come back."

Wrath closed his eyes and leaned back. The silence had returned between father and son, the distance lengthening with each passing second. Soon Wrath stood and patted his son on his shoulder. "I don't doubt you two could've made it work but it wouldn't have lasted." The king moved his hand and placed it on top of Fhear's head. "The love between you two would've broken your friendship."

In his mind, Fhear couldn't help but agree. He could never see Jessie as a friend no matter what. And if things had gone the way they had imagined, she might've thought the same way.

"She was never meant to be by your side as a friend, Fhear. She was much more than that."

Fhear lifted his head up and found his father looking directly into his eyes as if he could once again see. "Human she was, there's no doubt in my mind she would've found you one way or another. She was your other half as you were hers. Even I could see that."

Finding himself mute again, Fhear could only nod his head in agreement. Wrath felt his son's answer and gave him a nod as well. He then picked up his son back to his feet and told him they would have to find some way to notify Jessie's family. Again, Fhear nodded as a way of volunteering. He knew Jessie's grandmother would believe the news if it came from him.

As the two began to leave the infirmary, one of the stands holding medical equipment vibrated. The steel and tools shook from the source which happened to be a cellphone. More specifically, it was Fhear's phone. The prince vaguely remembered placing device, along with his weapons, on the stand. The guns and hira shurikens were long gone, leaving the phone vibrating with the incoming call.

Reaching for the device, the prince meant to end the call when his thumb froze over the button.

It was Jessie's number.

Staring at the phone as the call went to messages, Fhear broke out of his daze when the same number appeared. Ignoring the door to the room swinging open and the person joining the males, Fhear took the call with every intent of demanding to know if this was some kind of sick joke.

"Did you know Jessie was afraid of dogs?"

Fhear sucked in a sharp breath.

"I take that as a yes," chuckled Jamie.

"How—"

"Her phone was broken. The memory chip survived. So you knew about Jessie's dog issue. Did you know how she came to fearing them?"

The prince jumped when V snapped his finger's next to the prince's ear. Twisting around to the male, he saw some sort of tracking device in Vishous's hand, narrowing the call's location.

"We were four when Grams told us about the rougarou. It was punishment because Jessie broke some dishes out of a temper tantrum. Told our grandmother she wasn't afraid of anything. That all changed when Grams told the story. Who knew the tale of a rougarou that dragged children to the bayou so it could eat them would do the trick. I knew Grams only did this to teach her a lesson. Scarred Jessie for the rest of her life."

The device was close to pinning Jamie's location.

"It was a month later when we all found out about Jessie's fear. One of the neighbor's dogs got loose and into the backyard. That was the only time we ever heard Jessie scream. And I guess you could say that was the very first time I acted like a brother. Saw my sister was in trouble and came to her rescue without a second thought. Then again, it turned out the dog was friendly so there was no real trouble. Either way, she needed me and I was there for her."

Fhear knew where Jamie was when they secured his location. Somehow, Jessie's twin wasn't in the city but was at a nature trail a few miles out. The ping centered in a clearing which happened to be in the middle of the trail.

"Here's another secret. Did you know that Nithard actually brought Notker back from the dead?" There was a pause, Fhear hearing something unzip and shuffling against grass. "La Chanson de Lily says Nithard took his brother's pain seconds before death. The truth is that Notker died. Died in his brother's arms. But even in death, Nithard could still feel Notker's pain, his ability yearning to be used. So he took the pain to be his own, thus taking Notker's place and died. Nithard died and brought Notker back to life. If he could do it, why not me?"

"Jamie—"

"She was always there for me. Now I need to be her brother and save her a second time."

Not second guessing what he was about to do, Fhear knew where he wanted to go and dematerialized. Appearing in the clearing of the phone's location, the prince could see the rays of the rising sun slithering over the trees. A grey pond began to come to life when beams of light traveled over its surface.

There was a pickup truck with a busted side window parked near the pond. As light poured over the clearing, it revealed Jamie sitting against the truck. Soot mixed with his white hair and clothes, obscuring pale skin which was tinged with red. The only part of Jamie that was second instead of first degree burns were his arm. Sleeves burned clean off, red arms scarred with popped blisters and one hand bleeding black from busted knuckles was enough to tell Fhear that Jamie managed to drag his sister out of the factory before it collapsed on them suffering burns just to do so. In the hand not suffering from breaking glass was the phone, continuing its call. By his feet were three tarot cards, their shapes eerily familiar to what was in the desk back at the factory.

Jessie laid in front of her brother.

Dropping the phone and running to her, Fhear collapsed next to her body. The vest had been removed, her bloody shirt and bruised skin visible for all to see. Deep cuts made from glass and shrapnel scarred her face, cuts that might never heal. Her eyes were closed instead of open like last time. Wishing they would open with nothing but life, Fhear felt a wave of disappointment when nothing happened. He looked up Jamie who was staring at the tarot cards.

The Hermit. The Tower. Judgment.

"The first two came true," he said to the prince. He then tilted his head up to the morning sky. "I refuse to let the last card to end like this."

Ahnger, Adam, and Dhusk materialized in the clearing.

"Thank you, Fhear. Thank you for being there for my sister." Jamie reached for Jessie's left hand, flipping it over so the lily could match his on his right hand. "Né comme un seul et ensemble comme deux, vous êtes maintenant libre, sœur mienne."

 _Born as one and together as two, you are now free, my sister._

Jamie's lily birthmark began to glow. Mixed with silver and blue, the lily's petal spread over his skin before its color and shape began to shrivel. Fhear forced himself to stay put with a silver petal with blue tips emerged out of Jamie's wrist and floated to the ground. Soon an entire lily with the same colors rose out of his skin and fell on the grass, its once beautiful form rotting away.

Looking away from the dead lily, Fhear gasped when Jamie no longer looked or smelled like a _lesser_. The prince only smelt the linger scent of a lily coming from a man whose physical form had returned to its former self. However, his eyes were now a pale color instead of the usual blueish gray. That's when Fhear noticed the red blood dripping from Jamie's lips and his still chest.

Blood bloomed over Jamie's chest, starting in the form of a lily then turning into a red mess. Bruises and cuts mirroring those of Jessie's appeared on her brother's body, cutting and beating his skin. The last wound sliced his right arm, bringing Fhear's attention to Jamie's limp hand still holding his sister's, the dried-up lily resting over their fingers.

The other males joined their prince right when Jessie gasped for air.

Eyes glowing just like the birthmark on her wrist, Jessie stared up at the morning sky before they fluttered shut. Fhear quickly placed his ear over her moving chest and sighed in relief when he heard a steady heartbeat. Bringing his head up, he caught sight of the lily blooming from her wrist. Silver with blue tips on the petals, the lily twirled reached out for the sun as if its light would give it life. Soon the petal dissolved back into Jessie's skin, this time the birthmark was twice as big with vines wrapped around her wrist like a ring.

Fhear pulled Jessie into his arms while Dhusk checked Jamie. The prince already knew the brother was dead. It happened after he spoke in French and the lily appeared from his wrist. In his death, Jamie had saved his sister by trading away his life for hers. Fhear knew he would always be indebted to the Beauvillier for saving his female. Now he just wanted to take Jessie home.


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter Thirty Eight

Jessie stood in front of a strange tree surrounded by darkness.

Instead of green leaves, the tree had silver lilies growing from its branches. The lilies were all twisted, waiting to bloom in the dark world. Having nowhere else to go, Jessie stepped forward to the tree and noticed how a bead of light remained behind her step. She continued until she was standing under the lilies.

One by one, the flowers began to bloom. Blue from the petals' tips merged together with the silver, turning the darkness into a world of light. At the center of the tree's trunk, a seedling popped from the wood and began to grow. Soon it became a lily just like the rest on the branches. Jessie took a closer look at the flower and suddenly saw a vague image of a man who looked like her. Taking her eyes off the new flower, she glanced up at the others and noticed the faces in each lily.

Voices fluttered from the lilies. Laughter, bickering, sobbing, Jessie could hear thousands of voices with different emotions coming from the tree. She realized whoever the voices belonged to were connected by the tree standing before her. Thinking about the strong connection made her wrist twitch. Raising her arm, she watched as a lily bloomed from her flesh. Once the flower was complete, the voices grew louder as if they knew one of their own was near.

The urge to touch the tree was immense. Not a single rational though explained this sudden need, only that Jessie knew she needed to touch the tree and it would be over. She would be with those she was listening to and everything would be alright.

She raised her flowered hand.

"No."

Two hands covered her eyes and pulled her back.

Jessie began to panic until slender arms drew her to a warm chest. Unable to see who was holding her, Jessie stood in their embrace and waited for them to release her. The tree began to call to her once more, forcing her to raise her hand once more.

"Týr, stop it."

And just like that, the connection between the tree and Jessie ceased.

Eyes still covered, the person hugged Jessie so tight it was like they were afraid to let go. They then leaned close to Jessie's ear and whispered, "It is not your time. Your brother has taken your pain."

The image of the new lily appeared in her mind. An image of a man identical to her stirred memories from their sleep. She couldn't remember who he was, just that he was important.

Jessie was turned over, the hands no longer covering her eyes. Taking in a deep breath, her eyes fluttered open and found a woman standing in front of her. Wearing a white gown with long brown hair flowing around her, a silver blue tipped lily was planted at the back of her neck, the flower circling around like a necklace. Jessie brought her gaze up to the woman's eyes, noting how they were the same color as the lily.

The woman caressed Jessie's cheek, eyes full of warmth and love taking her in. "This will the only time you'll see our tree," she said, tears beginning to form. "I shall watch over Jamie. You go be with the one you love."

Suddenly, something clicked in Jessie's mind and saw how similar she and the woman looked. A couple years younger than her, the woman could've been her sister. But as the woman began to draw her hand back, some sort of bond lingered from her touch. A bond so old Jessie had forgotten as an infant. She had felt this woman's touch the day she had been born before the woman died.

Jessie caught the woman's hand. Just holding hands with her sparked the memory no newborn could possibly remember. A memory of a child brought into the world, screaming and reaching for their mother. The image of a woman weak from giving birth taking the wailing infant into her arms. Her soft, lyrical voice cooing the child to stop fussing.

Bluish grey eyes watching her baby girl before closing forever.

"Mom?"

Abrial smiled at her daughter.

"It's your turn to live your life." She slipped her hand from Jessie's. "I will always love you, my little girl."

A strong hand grabbed Jessie by the arm and lifted her off her feet. All she could see was a man wearing a hooded cloak pulling her away from Abrial. Away from her mother and the tree linking her to her ancestors.

Back to the real world.

* * *

No one knew exactly how Jamie turned back human. Sam could only come up with a theory on how the Beauvillier bloodline was Týr's which resulted in him returning to his usual self. Once everyone was positive the Omega wouldn't use Jamie's corpse in locating the mansion, the first thing they did was preserve the human's body. Then it was up to Jamie to make the call.

Damiane Beauvillier wasn't surprised in hearing the prince's voice. The elderly woman already knew about Jessie and what Jamie did to save her since he called her earlier. Fhear was relieved to know the Beauvilliers were already planning for a funeral, although he wasn't too thrilled about Elliot du Bois finding out. Damiane assured the prince Jessie's father wouldn't bother her once she arrived back in New Orleans.

Glad to know everything was prepared on their end, Fhear stayed next to Jessie's sleeping form. Not once had she woken after being resurrected. Jane and Manny already did their tests, confirming no serious injuries inflicted on her. Every bruise, scar, and broken bone had disappeared and healed when Jamie spoke those strange words. Fhear just wanted Jessie to open her eyes, assuring him that she was alright.

Exhaustion finally caught up with the prince that he pulled one of the beds in the infirmary next to Jessie's, lowered the railing on both beds, and immediately fell asleep with her hand in his.

Nightmare's plagued Fhear, especially Jessie falling to her death. Every time the dream ended with her hitting the ground, Fhear would snap awake in the dark covered in sweat. It was Jessie's hand in his and her steady breathing that broke him out of the terror and helped him back to sleep. After a few bad dreams, he eventually went to sleep without any terrible dreams waiting for him.

Resting undisturbed all the way into the night, the presence of someone in the room stirred Fhear from his sleep. Fluttering his eyes open, he spotted Jane checking Jessie's vitals. The human noticed the prince and gave him a thumb's up, her way to telling him everything was all right. Fhear gave her a slight nod and watched as Jane left the room. Returning his gaze on Jessie, watching her sleep so soundly had Fhear worrying and relieved. Worried if she wasn't okay as the others thought and relieved that she was resting without any worry.

It was close to midnight when Jessie began to shift. Hearing her move around, Fhear hastily bid farewell on the Skype call and shoved the laptop aside when Jessie's eyes opened. No longer glowing, the prince could see her greyish blue eyes once again.

"Hey," Fhear greeted while taking her hand.

Jessie stared at the prince for a while before her eyes shifted around the room. Satisfying her curiosity, she looked back at Fhear and their hands together. As one, their hands shifted around in a circle, exposing the newly expanded lily birthmark. The sight was all it took for the tears to come.

"Jamie's dead."

Pulling Jessie in his arms and sharing one bed, Fhear held her close as the truth sunk in. "Your family already know," he told her. "They're just waiting for you to come to New Orleans."

She looked up at Fhear with swollen eyes. "You talked to my family?"

He smiled at her and rubbed her back. "Just got off Skype with your grandmother. She's wondering how they're going to fit a vampire in a day funeral." From the look of confusion on her face, Fhear clarified. "Someone had to tell them and your grandmother wanted to talk with me. My father said it was fine if she and some of the Beauvilliers knew about us since most of the older generation know about their abilities."

Jessie wiped her eyes with a faint smile on her face. "So she took the news about you being vampire well?"

"So well it was a bit creepy." Fhear took a moment to laugh to himself. "Your grandmother found it extremely funny how you thought Victoria was a rougarou." The prince was rewarded with a gentle laugh from Jessie.

"Why did you tell her that?"

"We were making conversation and it sort of slipped." With them talking with such ease, one thing had been bothering Fhear and it didn't seem right to ask Jessie's grandmother over a friendly chat. Besides, it had to do with Jamie and the best person to ask was his twin. "Your brother had three tarot cards with him."

Sorrow returned in her gaze.

"I didn't understand the meaning. They were The Hermit, The Tower, and Judgment. Do you know what they mean in that order?"

Jessie buried her head against Fhear's chest. "Jamie always sought knowledge, that's how he got into MIT. I guess his actions led to trouble after trouble. I mean, I ended up here." She curled her fingers in his shirt. "I think my death was the Judgment card. But he defied it and took my place to change his fate. Now he's with my mother and those before us." That smile of hers returned as if remembering some fond memory. "I saw her, you know. My mother."

"Really?"

"Yeah. There was a tree with lilies instead of leaves. I think I would've ended on the other side if I had touched it. She stopped me from moving on." Jessie closed her eyes, a tear slipping down her face. "Somehow, I remembered the day I was born. I remembered her taking me into my arms and holding me for the very first time. She and Jamie saved me, Fhear. Now my brother is with our mother."

"Jamie took your pain. And you still wanted to pass over?"

She released a tired sigh. "I don't know. All I remember was my mom stopping me and vague memories of Jamie after watching a new lily being born. It all came together at the end." There was a pause with a familiar grunt. "Then Týr threw me out."

Fhear couldn't help but laugh. He laughed even harder when Jessie thunked him in the chest with her fist. "Given how you want to torture the god, I'm not surprised." He did his best from chocking on his laughter as Jessie decided to flick him on the forehead.

Laying there for a while in silence, Fhear eventually brought up the topic on fact that they had her brother's body and how the family back home was waiting for them. He told her he would call and tell them when to expect their arrival. Telling Jessie she didn't need to push it and wait a couple of days, Fhear patiently waited for her answer.

"We can leave once the sun sets tonight. That'll give me more than enough time to prepare."

Fhear nodded. "Alright. I should go tell the others so they can start packing."

Jessie's hold on the prince went hard, keeping him down on the bed. "Oh, right," he chuckled. "People already volunteered to go with me to New Orleans with you. The idea of visiting the city was appealing, even if it was on matters such as this one."

For a second, Fhear worried Jessie might argue the fact that one shouldn't sightsee if they were attending a funeral. Things must be different in New Orleans because she snickered as if hearing a joke. "I won't mind. I just hope whoever volunteered doesn't mind a nice walk. It's a good distance from the church to cemetery."

With that dilemma sorted out, the last one on Fhear's to-do list was to talk with his father. After returning with Jessie and Jamie's body, Wrath said he wanted to speak with his son once Jessie woke up. If it had been any other day, the prince would expect some sort of lecture on duty and how reckless he was. But given what happened, he doubted that's what his father wanted to talk about.

Their conversation came to mind along with Fhear's decision. He would somehow convince his father, along with the noble families, that Jessie was the one for him and that he would take her to be his _shellan_. It would be difficult considering his engagement to Claudya and expectation from those of higher rank than the civilians, but Fhear would find a way no matter what he had to do.

His father had been right. Had it been because of her brother or for some sort of universal reason, Jessie would've found her way to his doorsteps no matter what. She challenged him, argued and counseled him, and seemed to know what he was thinking without even speaking. It was all the same when it came to Jessie, minus the violent outbursts when tempers went flying off the bar. They knew one another inside out and no friendship could compare to that.

Having lost her and gifted a second chance, Fhear wouldn't waste it. If whatever Wrath wanted to speak about had to do with Jessie, the prince would tell his father his plans and wouldn't take no for an answer. This was his decision and nothing would change it.

Their card was The Lovers, after all.


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter Thirty Nine

New Orleans, Louisiana

Fhear was still baffled on how a funeral could end up as a parade down the French Quarter. If it wasn't for the afternoon sun beating down on him or the music being played at the front of the parade, he would assume this was some weird dream and that he would wake up any minute.

It had been four days ago when they arrived in the city, utterly surprised that the preparations for the funeral were nearly complete. Accompanying the prince was Mehrcy and Victoria, Ahnger, Adam with Esther, and Dhusk and Paige. Victoria and Ahnger were familiar with the city since they had spent some time here during the days so they were reminiscing more than protecting their prince. Although Paige was still hesitant about using her powers in self-defense, she promised she'd help if needed and was more than comfortable with her male next to her. Adam and Esther qualified for their team because they could travel with the parade during the day. As for Dhespair and Adam, they tagged along since they were nearing their transition and they needed as many people who could attend the services during the day. It had been interesting when they arrived at Jessie's apartment, doing whatever was possible to make room for the large group.

Given how they were in the middle of the street at high noon, the only person unable to attend was Mehrcy. However, the male was looking through his _shellan's_ eyes as they continued down to Lafayette Cemetery. His sight of the outside world had to be interesting since Victoria was dancing to the beat of the music like the other Beauvilliers. There was no mistaking the Beauvilliers from the du Boiss because they were doing a jig to the music and wore white instead of black. Respecting the Beauvilliers' choice of color, Fhear and those attending with him wore shirts and dresses in white.

Jessie wore a short white sleeveless dress with black lace tied around her neck and a pair of black heels that laced up around her ankles. Like a some of the Beauvillier women, a black parasol protected her from the sun. With Fhear by her side and the others at a respectful distance, they walked next to the horse drawn carriage carrying her brother's coffin. Marching on the opposite side of the coffin was Elliot du Bois in his service uniform. The parasol was tipped over to the right a bit, blocking Jessie's view from her father.

Fhear placed his arm over her shoulder and drew her to him, the both sharing the shade. The very first thing the prince wanted to do one landing in the city was find Elliot and _ahvenge_ Jessie. He almost got his wish when they were at Jessie's grandmother's house last night to go over the plans one last time. Believe it or not, it wasn't Jessie or the others who stopped him but Damiane herself. Something about the way the woman looked at the prince scared him even more than Bhrutal.

Resulting in Elliot not attending his own funeral.

Doing his best in forgetting the human, Fhear noticed how the unique buildings of the Quarter began to transition into modern buildings once they entered the Central Business and Warehouse District. Since it was still tourist season, the pier along the Mississippi was buzzing with customers and tour busses carrying onlookers down the complicated streets. Many visitors stopped and recorded the funeral as it continued its way to the Garden District, most likely surprised to see a parade instead of black cars driving to the cemetery.

Walking past crowds and crossing over to streets cleared out for them, they passed through the two Districts with such ease and found themselves crossing over into the Garden District. Knowing they were getting closer to their destination, Fhear's hold on Jessie tightened when he felt her hand take his. Casting a glance over at their clasped hands, the prince's gaze lingered on her finger.

A silver ring glimmered under a thread of light.

Before they left Caldwell, it turned out the conversation Wrath wanted to have with his son was about the engagement. With all the events happening around the two, Wrath and Cohnrad had come to an agreement to cancel the mating. Not only had the announcement shocked Fhear, the prince quickly discovered Rehvenge and Cohnrad were doing their duty in getting the _princeps_ and _glymera_ to accept Fhear's chosen female. Many were furious when finding out Jessie was a human, but their rejections towards her began to dwindle when someone leaked how her bloodline was tied to a god. And speaking of gods, the king told his son that the Scribe Virgin was trying to come up with some sort of deal with Týr about Jessie.

All Fhear knew was that whenever the two came to some agreement, the results would end with Jessie staying by his side as his queen. Until both political and godly business was taken care of, they settled with getting married at St. Louis Cathedral.

Fhear took in a deep breath and smiled when the scent of dark spices filled his sense of smell. And it wasn't just his male's scent on his female that he smelt. Taking another inhale, mixed with the dark spice was the aroma of fresh lilies. The scent grew when Jessie looked up at the prince and grinned, lowering the parasol so it made it difficult for others to see their face. It was in that private moment when Jessie kissed Fhear, the scent on her body intensifying. Fhear held onto her for a bit before he was forced to let go or fall on his face.

The two kept their smiles and held one another as the funeral made it to the entrance of Lafayette Cemetery.

* * *

Caldwell, New York

Sitting behind his desk in the study, Cohnrad pulled away from his computer and glanced around. Shelves full of books occupied the walls with a conference table and grand piano rested in their respectful places. Illuminating was a chandelier he had modernized so it could produce electricity. Renovations went further than making a giant ornament create light. Positioned in each corner of the ceiling were cameras hidden from view, constantly recording the study room. Turning his focus to his desk, there were two picture frames. One was of his children and the other was a most recent photo of his _shellan_.

His beloved Clayre was with their daughter outside in the garden while it was Vyktor's first day filling in for his father at the business he owned. As Cohnrad looked at the picture, the more he wished one of his children looked like his mate. None of them had Clayre's light blond hair or her bright blue eyes.

Then again…

Every time Cohnrad thought of his _shellan_ and children, the more he found himself staring at a secret compartment hidden in the room. His terrible habit doubled after the event he encountered with Jessie Beauvillier. The human repeatedly told the male the cards she drew didn't mean he had to follow what they predicted. He found it amusing when Claudya returned with a batch of beignets, telling him it was Jessie's way of apologizing.

Too bad the cards she pulled were true. Now Cohnrad was constantly waiting for the Ten of Swords card to come true. He knew it wasn't far considering what he did in the shadows. It was the Justice card that kept playing on his mind, forcing him to look at the spot no one knew existed.

He would always regret what he did.

Shaking his head and standing, the male figured he needed some fresh air even though the night had just begun. There was so much for him to do and taking a not-so-much needed break was his was of procrastinating. Tonight, he would need to make a call and discuss options with the Primale since he knew his daughter was smitten with the male's son. It was pretty difficult in missing the attraction between the two. What helped change Cohnrad's mind was when Jessie drew his daughter's card as she sat next to the male.

Wrath had no objections about breaking the engagement.

Cohnrad walked around his desk and was heading for the door when he stopped and looked over at the conference table. Resting in the center of the table was a chess board. Pieces were scattered about and casualties collected on the side. The male stood at the edge of the table, pressing his fingers over the tip of the white king. Touching the piece brought back the memories he tried so desperately to bury.

He started this game thirty-five years ago. The challenger never came back to finish the game.

The chandelier's light flickered before engulfing the room in darkness. Cohnrad spun around, searching for the source of the outage. He then narrowed his eyes in anger as the moon's light filtered in from the windows. Standing across from him was a male clad in black, his red hair and piercings creating light of their own. The male raised his head and smiled wide enough to show-off his teeth, a pierced tongue slithering out from his jaw.

"I should've known," growled Cohnrad.

Light reached the two, revealing the viscous tattoos circling the male's left eye and tiny bell dangling from a chained earring on the same side. The design reached down his neck and disappeared under the black jacket zipped up to his chin. Then it wasn't the tattoos that held Cohnrad's interest but the long dagger in the male's gloved hand. Crazed laughter tore from the male's lips, their sound triggering a cascade of memories. However, Cohnrad knew the truth so it wasn't overwhelming.

The male charged at Cohnrad.

Taking one last look at the two kings on the chess board, Cohnrad met his assassin head on.

* * *

"What?"

Pausing in the moving process, everyone turned over to Mehrcy who was on the phone. The male's eyes were wide with shock and his body was shaking uncontrollably. He even jumped when Victoria placed her hand on his shoulder.

Fhear placed the boxes he was carrying on a table and took Jessie's hand. Her eyes were trained on Mehrcy, anticipating whatever the male had to say to the others. They darkened as Mehrcy asked whoever it was who called him to repeat their words. His stance faulted when the speaker did as he told them.

"All right," he said in a tight voice. "Our flight leaves in an hour. We'll see you soon."

Once he hung up, Mehrcy looked at those in the room before falling on his prince. Fhear gripped Jessie's hand as he nodded for the male to speak. "That was…that was Vishous. He, Phury, and Z are with Cohnrad's family. His _shellan_ , Clayre, called the Brotherhood."

Both Fhear and Jessie clung to each other, probably thinking the same thing.

Ever since the tarot cards had been played, three out of four fortunes had come true. Jessie played the set for Claudya and Ahgony, predicting the two would end up together which would happen in the near future. A stranger had predicted Jamie's future, giving him what he needed to turn the last card in his favor. Damiane Beauvillier told her granddaughter what was to come, the same cards foretelling Fhear's fate when he pulled the same cards.

It was the last draw of the cards that escaped Fhear's mind. He forgot the time when Jessie gave out a second reading in front of everyone. The cards she revealed had scared her so much it was never brought up again. Now Fhear remembered which cards had been drawn from the deck.

Knight of Pentacles. Justice. Ten of Swords.

Conrad's cards.

"Tell us, Mehrcy," the prince ordered. "Tell us what V said."

Mehrcy nodded, obeying his prince's demand.

"Cohnrad's been murdered."


End file.
